His and Her Fairy Tale
by fireblazie
Summary: Going from mere acquaintances to close friends, and then to something more... [NaruHina]
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

This first chapter is dedicated to NuttyScribbler, who has reviewed quite a few of my stories , White Witch, who listens to me rant about anything -- and she helps me with my Tagalog [gosh, you have to hand it to her. And she's never complained, not even once. .] and Naruke, who... well, rambles about the oddest things and just makes my life a hell of a lot more interesting. I wonder if she's reading.. XD

Chapter 1

_The first time Hyuuga Hinata laid eyes on Uzumaki Naruto was on an autumn evening, when she was but five years old. She was a quiet, introverted girl, only speaking when it was absolutely necessary. More so, she was weak. She lacked the physical strength needed to be the head of the famed Hyuuga clan, and her father never failed to remind her of this._

"You are weak," he had said to her after witnessing her doing poorly in all of her training. Her father never yelled. But the disappointment, the fury in his eyes was more than the young girl could handle. His voice was deathly silent, with ice seeping into his tone. "You are a disgrace to the Hyuuga clan."

She was used to such treatment. That was the way she had been treated all her life, after all.

But somewhere, deep inside her, she knew she deserved better.

She had been sipping at her orange juice when a loud yell caught her attention. She turned towards the direction of the voice, and caught a glimpse of blond hair. Curiousity piqued, she strayed from her usual path home to see what was going on.

"That's mine!" A blond boy around her age shouted angrily at some older boys who had knocked down his groceries and were making off with them. "Come back here! Those are MINE!"

But the older boys paid him no heed, and ran off, joking and laughing about their feat.

Hinata found herself drawn to the blond, and she walked quietly to him. If that had been her, she would have been crying by now, but this boy simply glared and muttered curses under his breath as he picked up the rest of his fallen things. When he saw her, he waved. "Hi!"

What? Hinata did not understand. How could he be so cheerful after what had just happened?

"I -- I --" She stuttered. She always stuttered. "Hi." She finally managed.

He smiled, and she couldn't help but wonder how he could do so.

Mustering all of her courage, she asked him so.

He stuck out his lower lip, looking thoughtful. "They're idiots," he said finally. "Anyway, I'm gonna become Hokage one day! Then I'll show them!"

"Hokage?" Hinata wasn't able to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Yeah!" He nodded energetically. Then he narrowed his eyes. "You don't think I can do it?"

"Oh!" Hinata shook her head. "You'll be a good Hokage."

That bright smile appeared once more on his face. "I like you!" he declared, causing a blush to appear on Hinata's face. She averted her eyes. "What's your name?"

She hated giving her name to others. Whenever they heard the "Hyuuga" part, they instantly judged her to be a strong, gifted warrior. But that wasn't who she was.

"Huh?" He glanced at her eyes. There was some surprise shown in his face, but evidently he thought better of asking her such a personal question. "Can't you tell me?"

"It's Hyuuga Hinata," she told him in a voice so quiet he could barely hear her.

"Hinata, huh?" He scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. "That's a pretty name."

Again, she blushed. "Th -- Thanks."

"Oh! I'm so stupid!" Naruto stuck out his hand to her. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki-san," Hinata repeated, reluctantly shaking his hand. She wasn't used to such affectionate treatment. Upon hearing her words, Naruto frowned and shook his head.

"No!" He told her, shaking his head vehemently. "Not Uzumaki-san. Naruto. Or Naruto-kun. Whatever you like."

"Oh." Hinata wasn't sure what to say. She had been brought up to address people distantly, never using their first names unless she knew them personally. But somehow this boy made her feel warm inside, and so she decided that it was okay to call him Naruto-kun. "Okay. Naruto-kun."

He smiled the biggest, brightest smile Hinata had ever seen.

---

Seven years later, she has not changed much. She is still weak, still a disgrace to her father's eyes. The only heir he sees fit for the Hyuuga clan is her younger sister, Hanabi. Again, she is nothing. The only reason her father has not kicked her out of the house is because she is still a Hyuuga, and she still contains their bloodline limit.

She has no friends.

Kiba-kun and Shino-kun are her teammates, and they look out for her because of that fact. But they are not her friends. They are merely teammates, working together only because they have to. But she respects them, and they respect her back. She is glad for that, and she looks forward to going on their missions. Anything to get away from this sad, depressing place.

She will gladly go to school rather than to stay at home, where everyone stares at her with disappointed eyes, whispering and muttering about the girl who was too weak to become an heir to the Hyuuga clan.

At school, no one talks to her. The girls have already made their own close-knit groups, and at the age of twelve, the girls stay away from the boys. Plus, she didn't think she would have the courage to ever talk to a boy, anyway, because they were all taller, and scarier.

She is an ugly duckling. But unlike the story, she will never bloom to become a beautiful, graceful swan. She will remain an ugly duckling all her life. That is what everyone tells her, and that is what she has learned to believe.

---

He is a troublemaker. For that reason, he can understand why some of the kids don't like him very much. He can also understand why some of the teachers don't like him very much. But what he cannot understand is how come they shoot him malevolent glares when his back is turned, like he is a demon. He is not a demon. He does not understand.

During his early years, he was raised in an orphanage, fed scraps of food and given thin futons to sleep on. Once he was judged able to live on his own, he was given his small, one-bedroom apartment. It was far from being a comfy home, but anything was better than that orphanage.

Everywhere he goes, someone always gives him that angry look. He does not understand why. He has never done them any wrong. His pranks are never deathly serious; they never involve a life, if not his own.

At school, the kids ostracize him, banning him from their groups, from their lunch tables. He sits alone during recess, he plays alone, he walks alone. After school, he secretly watches as the other kids' parents come to pick them up, watching as they chatter about what they did at school that day.

Inside, his heart hurts. He is alone, painfully alone. Outside, he denies it, covering up with his bubbling laughter and cruel pranks. Anything to get some attention. At least, he reasons, if he is being a prankster, people will give him some attention, right?

He is willing to face anything, any punishment, any criticism, as long as it means someone is paying attention to him. As long as somebody knows he is there.

No one has ever really, truly paid attention to him. Kakashi-sensei pays more attention to Sasuke. Sakura-chan pays more attention to Sasuke. Sasuke only pays attention to himself. Iruka-sensei loves him as a brother, and maybe even a son, that he is sure of, but he never gets to see him much anymore.

He is only someone in the background.

Nobody likes him.

But for some reason, whenever Naruto feels the extent of his loneliness, his thoughts will wander to a young, five-year-old girl, who listened to him as he prattled on about his dreams of being Hokage, who encouraged him, who gave him a small, gentle smile.

Part of him insists, that girl is real! She is real! There really is a person who enjoys being with you, who doesn't give you withering glares and makes fun of your dreams!

But another part of him counters, she isn't real! She can't be real! Everybody hates you. Nobody likes you. That girl is nothing but a figment of your imagination, something you created to soothe the loneliness within you!

If he is feeling particularly bitter, he will listen to the second voice. No one liked him. They detested him. He did not know why, but he has a feeling it has something to do with the strange seal on his stomach, a question he has asked plenty of elders, none of which have ever answered him.

If he is feeling hopeful, or in a good mood, he will indulge in the first voice. She might be real, who knows? Maybe she is his guardian angel, he thinks, remembering the tales Iruka-sensei used to tell him of beautiful beings with long, white wings who look after you and make sure no harm ever comes to you.

But if she was real, where had she gone?

He remembers that the times they met were fleeting, lasting only a few minutes at the most. She would come to him, but then she would leave. He didn't understand. But even though she left, she always came back. Always.

Then one day, she bade him goodbye and never came back.

Was it a dream, he wonders, or was it real?

He wishes it was real. At least then, he knows that he at least had one friend in his life.

But for now, he continues to be alone, standing in the rain, soaking wet, watching as the parents of the other children hand them umbrellas so they can be safe from the rain.

---

Hinata stands at the gates of the school, watching for her younger sister, Hanabi. She has just finished her training with Kurenai-sensei, and she expects to go home with Hanabi and her father. In addition to the large, warm hood her overcoat provides, she clutches an umbrella, holding it over her head, wincing as lightning flashes and thunder crackles.

There! At the back of the school, there is Hanabi, walking home with her father, perfectly dry under the large umbrella her father carries. He claps a hand gently on her younger sister's shoulder, shielding her from the rain. Hinata suddenly realizes, her father never did any such thing for her.

Because she is weak.

He doesn't acknowledge her.

She is weak.

She shakes her head, blinking furiously to stop the tears from falling. She rubs at them furiously with her sleeve, and turns around to take the long way home when something manages to catch her eye.

It is a minute, almost invisible detail, but somehow she is able to pick it up. She pauses, gazing intently at the playground in the distance -- she is barely able to see it, but somehow she is certain that there is somebody sitting on the slides.

Usually she would not pay attention, and would go on her own way. But it was raining hard, and something inside of her told her to go, go and see that person.

She takes small steps, her resolve slightly fading when she gets a closer look at the boy on the slide. She has heard many things about him, although she does not know his name. All she knows is that he is a prankster, always known for getting into trouble. He was always being made fun of by the other kids, although she didn't know why. He never seemed to cause any real harm. She bit her lip.

"Um -- um.."

Her small voice catches his ear, and he turns to look at her. For a moment, Hinata is caught off-guard by his deep blue eyes. She lets out a small gasp.

"Who are you?" he asks her. There is no hostility in his voice, and she forces herself to go on.

"My name -- My name is Hyuuga Hinata," she replies, faltering a little bit at the "Hyuuga" part. Everybody always expected her to be strong upon hearing which clan she belonged to.

Something flickers in his eyes, and he gazes intently at her for a moment, staring, staring, staring. Hinata's cheeks heat up and she looks away.

"What's your name?" she manages to ask him, quietly.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he says, managing to look proud. "I'm going to be the next Hokage. Don't you forget it!"

"Ah..." He was loud, but somehow a little subdued, compared to how he usually acted at school. "I -- I won't, Uzumaki-san."

He shakes his head at her, "Don't call me that! Call me Naruto."

"Oh.." Somehow this seems very familiar to her, but how, she was unsure. She stared at him out of the corner of her eye, trying not to make it seem like she was staring. "Naruto...kun?"

He jerks in surprise, shifting so that he is staring right at her eyes. He sucks in a considerable amount of air upon seeing those sad, white eyes.

No one had ever called him Naruto-kun before.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes immediately. It is almost like a reflex. "Just Naruto?"

But he shakes her head. "No. Naruto-kun is okay." He looks at her, "Can I call you Hinata?"

She nods.

"Hinata..chan?"

This time, it is she who draws in air. No one, not even her father, has called her Hinata-chan. But she glances into his eyes, and finds the same pain that she has experienced all her life. She bows her head. "Yes."

When she looks up, he is smiling the biggest and brightest smile she has ever seen.

This is where their tale begins...

:: t-b-c ::

Well, I thought to myself, I'd written a multi-chapter SasuSaku fic ["Swing"], I'm in the middle of writing a multi-chapter ShikaIno fic ["And They Say Chivalry is Dead"] and I figured, hey, why not write a multi-chapter NaruHina fic? And so this story was born. I realize it's quite different... I wanted to write angst, but I realized that I suck at writing angst, and this was what came out. A lot of inspiration came from "a million doors" by Visions. Well, all you NaruHina fans, I hope you like!


	2. Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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The Prime Minister - Ah, you picked up on the fact that Naruto and Hinata didn't recognize each other! gives you a cookie That will be revealed.... eventually. Actually, maybe next chapter. Maybe. shrugs **phantomgamer01** - I thought Naruto didn't know about the Kyubi until Jiraiya came along? blinks - **ximena-san** - That's right, Tagalog. Pinay po ako! Although I was raised in America. I'm guessing you're filipino too? Heehee. We really are taking over ! XD

This chapter is dedicated to The Prime Minster, b-chan1, and Wormkaizer. They've also read and reviewed a lot of my Naruto fanworks. Thanks, you guys!

Chapter 2

_She listened as he talked of one day becoming Hokage, forcing everyone to acknowledge him at long last. She listened as he talked of the other kids being mean to him and never letting him join in on their fun and games. She listened as he talked wistfully of wanting to meet his parents, whoever they were, wherever they were._

She admired him.

Just like her, he was denied by many, looked down, frowned upon. But unlike her, he strove to be acknowledged, so that others would realize that there was more to him than some dumb kid. She could never do so. She always tried to keep her head down and keep from being noticed.

"But why..." After meeting him for so many times, she had learned to grow comfortable around him, to look at him in the eye when she spoke, to refrain from stammering. "...do you want to become Hokage?"

He shook a finger at her as he answered, "Because being Hokage means that you're the strongest! If you're the strongest, everybody will notice you! Everyone will know my name!"

She still didn't understand. She didn't like it when people fussed over her. Not that they ever did.

"But I don't like it when people notice me," she told him softly. "When they notice me, they find out that I'm not strong."

Naruto frowned. "Hinata-chan, you sound like you don't like yourself a lot."

She avoided his eyes as she shook her head. "I don't."

"What?!" He sounded incredulous, and he moves so that she was looking directly at him. A blush spread across her face. "How can you say that?!"

Hinata cringed at the angry tone in his voice. "Nobody likes me. Even my dad doesn't like me. Because I'm not strong."

Naruto's countenance shifted from surprise to anger. "Don't listen to them, Hinata-chan!" he almost yelled, "they're stupid!"

She gaped at him, shocked at his outburst. "Na -- Naruto-kun.."

"Hinata-chan is fine the way she is," he declared defiantly, as if daring anybody else to challenge him. "I don't care if you're not strong or not. I like you."

Hinata felt warm, and fuzzy all over. No one had ever called her a friend before. "Really?"

"Yeah!" He nodded enthusiastically, blue eyes sparkling. "I mean... you listen to me. And you don't laugh at the stuff I say, not like the other kids. And you're nice. And quiet. I like you!"

She was so taken aback that she wasn't sure what to say. But upon seeing his warm smile, she found the words: "I like you too, Naruto-kun."

His smile widened. "Really, Hinata-chan?"

She found herself nodding. "Yes. You're very nice. And you listen to me. And your smile is warm. It makes me feel good."

"Oh." He seemed slightly embarrassed, and his cheeks were flushed when he flashed her a smile. "Then I'll smile more, okay?"

She blushed as well, her cheeks taking on a rosy pink tinge. "Ah... okay."

---

"You're doing well, Hinata," Kurenai reassures her as the said girl clutches a kunai in her trembling hands.

"Ah... thank you," she whispers, flashing her teacher a small smile before picking up her pace to catch up with her teammates. This is not a dangerous mission. Somewhere deep inside of her, she is actually glad that it is not that dangerous, simply going to the forest and finding a lost bird.

"ARGH!" Her teammate, Kiba, cries out in frustration. "How hard can it be to find one damn bird?!"

Shino glances for a second at him, but then looks away and continues to fly through the trees. She never knows what he is thinking, because his glasses hide his eyes and his collar covers most of his face.

"Kiba-kun," she says softly, "don't worry. We'll find the bird."

His eyes soften, and he throws up his hands in exasperation. Then he turns to his pet dog, "Akamaru, can you smell it?"

Akamaru barks in response, jerking his head to the left, and that is where they all go. Within minutes, Akamaru pounces on the fleeing bird, and Shino pries the bird away from the dog before he bites into it.

"Is this the bird?" he asks quietly.

Kurenai surveys the struggling bird and nods decisively. "That's the one. Good job, everyone."

She smiles at Hinata when she says this. Hinata appreciates the extra encouragement she receives from her teacher, she really does... but that doesn't change the fact that she is still weak, always being protected by her teammates...

That is her mood as she stuffs her hands in her pockets and keeps her head down as she walks. It is autumn, the season when the leaves change colors and the air slowly grows colder.

Hinata sighs. Here she is, all alone again.

---

Naruto never fails to get a bowl of ramen at least once a day. So on this autumn afternoon, he sits on one of the stools, slurping hungrily at his ramen. Iruka-sensei had been with him until just a few minutes ago, claiming that he had to leave since he had many papers to grade. Naruto had pleaded for him to stay, but the brown-haired man shook his head and departed with a warm smile.

So what? he asks himself sullenly. I'm used to being all alone. It's no big deal.

It happens in a matter of split seconds. One moment he is glaring at his bowl of ramen, as if it is the source of all his troubles. The next moment, he lifts his head towards the streets and catches a glimpse of her short, dark hair and heavy coat. She is the only one who wears such clothing.

It is pure instinct. He raises his hand and calls out in his loud voice, "Hinata-chan!"

Her head jerks up at the sound of his shout. She searches for the caller, her white eyes widening as she realizes that it is he who had called her. She hesitates.

"Hinata-chan!" He pats the empty stool next to her, a little voice in his head asking him what he is doing.

I'm offering her some ramen! He answers the voice irritatedly.

Why?

Because she's all alone! He insists, And I don't want her to be all alone!

....feh.

But the voice leaves him alone, and Naruto looks up to see the dark-haired girl clasping her hands nervously, still uncertain of what to do.

"Come on!" He shouts, louder, patting the empty stool vigorously. "My treat!"

She slowly nods and makes her way over to him. He cannot help but notice that she always takes slow, measured steps, never rushing at all. He realizes that this is so unlike him. He always rushes head-first into things, taking big, wide strides.

"Um, thank you..." Hinata says, bowing her head slightly.

"No problem!" Naruto booms in his loud voice. He throws a handful of coins on the counter as Hinata places her order of pork ramen.

An uncomfortable silence settles in. Naruto thinks back to the day he met her in the rain.

"I forgot to thank you," he informs her. "For staying with me in the rain back then."

"O -- Oh.." Hinata shakes her head. "You don't have to thank me."

"Yes, I do!" Naruto protests, "You stayed with me. Nobody else has ever done that before."

Hinata bites her lip. "I -- I just stayed with you -- because that's what I would have wanted someone to do for me."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes widen.

"Un." Hinata nods, watching as the waitress places her bowl of ramen directly in front of her. She reaches for a set of wooden chopsticks and breaks them apart.

"But, Hinata-chan," Naruto goes on, "you're normal. I bet you have friends."

Hinata smiles sadly and shakes her head. "No. Not really."

"Eh? Why?"

Her eyes grow distant, as if she is thinking of something else, like a memory of long ago. "Because I'm weak."

"Weak?" he echoes. He has never once thought of her as weak.

"My dad told me so."

"You're not weak, Hinata-chan," Naruto tells her, shaking his head firmly. "You're kinda quiet. And kinda weird. But you're really nice. You're not weak."

Hinata isn't sure what to think, but she is amused, and grateful. "Thank you."

That is the first time anybody has ever told her such things.

Naruto picks up his bowl and tilts it upwards so as to finish the remaining soup. Hinata blows gently before taking another mouthful of noodles.

How different they both are, he thinks to himself, almost surprised. He has always been able to find something in other people that reminds him of himself. Sakura-chan was always loud, like him. Sasuke was always training, like him. Even Kakashi-sensei, who protected his precious people, just like him.

But with Hinata-chan, she is completely different from him. They are worlds apart. She is quiet. He is loud-mouthed. She would rather keep her head down and blend in with the crowd. He would much rather face the world, chin up, and be noticed. After all, why else would he wear such a bright orange outfit?

He remembers Iruka-sensei's words. Guardian angels, beautiful beings with shimmering wings, living only to protect their one precious person.

How he would like to have a guardian angel.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," he begins, sounding wistful, "have you heard of guardian angels?"

"Guardian angels?" she repeats, letting the words roll off her tongue. "No -- No, I haven't."

A big grin spreads across Naruto's face, and he spins his stool so that he is facing her. "Iruka-sensei told me about them! They're these beings with feathery, shiny wings. And they wear all white. And they protect their precious person and make sure that they never get harmed."

Hinata smiles, her tender smile which Naruto has slowly grown to like. "They sound nice."

"Don't they?" Naruto claps his hands in glee. "And Iruka-sensei told me that everybody has one."

"Really?" Hinata sounds surprised, then her face falls. "I -- I bet -- I bet I don't have one."

"Huh?"

"I -- I've never -- never been protected. So -- I bet I don't have one."

Naruto frowns upon hearing that. "Everyone has one."

"Do -- Do you?"

His smile fades for an instant. "Sometimes, I don't think I do. Since my life sucks and all. But I've made it this far, right? I've graduated from the Academy, I'm a Genin, and I'm on my way to becoming Hokage! I must have a guardian angel watching over me!"

"Can you -- Can you see guardian angels?"

Naruto shakes his head, a disappointed frown sliding over his face. "No. Iruka-sensei said that they never show themselves to you. But they are always watching over you. I'm sure you've got one, Hinata-chan."

Hinata shakes her head doubtfully. "But --"

"I know!" Naruto interrupts, an excited gleam shimmering in his crystal blue eyes. "I'll be your guardian angel!"

Hinata quivers in surprise, dropping her chopsticks in the process. Naruto is too far gone to notice, and he rambles on animatedly, "I'll be your guardian angel. That way, you'll know for sure that you have one! I'll do all the stuff guardian angels do, you know, watch over you and protect you. Except I don't wanna wear white. And I don't have wings, so I can't fly. But that's okay with you, right?"

Hinata's mouth is hanging open. "But I -- But I've never done anything for you...."

"Yeah, you have!" Naruto smiles, that wide grin that lets her know that everything will be all right. "You stayed with me. And you saw me when nobody else did. That's all I've ever wanted!"

Hinata isn't convinced. "But.."

His face falls. "You don't want me as your guardian angel?"

"Of course I do!" Hinata is so worried that she has upset him that she speaks louder than she usually does, without stuttering. "It's just --"

"Then it's settled, right? I'll be your guardian angel!"

She recognizes that stubborn, determined gleam in his eyes. It means that no matter what she does or says, there is no way she can change his mind. And she accepts that. It is part of who he is. It is what she likes so much about him. Yet she has to ask him one thing.

"But why?"

He pauses as he reaches over to get a new pair of chopsticks. He is silent as he hands them over to Hinata, who accepts them and holds her breath in anticipation.

"Because," he finally answers, "you're alone, just like me. I don't want to be alone anymore, and I don't think you do, either."

Hinata is too stunned to say anything. This boy, whom she has known for only a little time, has seen right through her.

:: t-b-c ::

Ahh. Seems to be going along pretty well so far. By the way, could any of you guys tell me if Hinata's mother is dead? I don't think she's ever mentioned in the manga...


	3. Chapter 3

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Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto!

Chapter 3

_She had grown accustomed to visiting him, everyday, on the playground. It was almost like their own little secret. Every afternoon, at three o'clock sharp, she always met him by the merry-go-round. There, they would simply talk about whatever was on their minds._

"Hinata-chan," Naruto asked her as he burrowed himself deeper into the sand, "what's your family like?"

Hinata drew in her breath. She knew she would have to tell him someday. "They're.... nice."

"What about your mom? Or dad?"

Hinata looked down. "My mom's dead."

"Oh." Naruto blanched, mentally hitting himself on the head for making her sad. "Uh..sorry. I never had a family. So I don't know how it feels. You know, to lose someone."

"It's okay." Hinata forced a smile.

"What about your dad?"

"My dad hates me," Hinata replied simply.

"What?" Naruto's picture of a family was all smiles, with the father and mother being very happily in love, and treating their children with kindness and compassion and love. Hate was never in the picture. Just like those family shows he would watch on television. "But why?"

"Because I'm weak." Somehow, it was like a chant that came naturally to her, I am weak. I am Hyuuga Hinata, the girl who is weak, the daughter my father despises because of her lack of strength. "I told you before, remember?"

"But what's the big deal?!" Naruto didn't understand. "If he's your dad, he's supposed to love you no matter what, right?"

Hinata shook her head. "Not my dad. He says that the Hyuuga clan is special. Everyone is supposed to be strong and powerful. Plus I'm the oldest girl. I'm supposed to be the heir."

Still, the blond didn't comprehend.

"Your dad sounds real cold," he said finally.

"He is." Hinata felt so much older than five. She had experienced too much, was the reason. "But... he wasn't always like that."

"You mean he changed or something?"

"Yeah." Hinata nodded. "When my mom was alive, he was very kind. And warm. He would hug me. And kiss me goodnight. And all of that."

Naruto blinked, waiting for her to continue.

"But then my mom died. When Hanabi was born. And then he changed."

Naruto still did not know what to do. He was so unfamiliar with these kinds of situations, ones that involved so much raw emotion. He finally offered, "I'm sorry."

Hinata looked up at him, and he saw so much sadness in those deep pools of white. Suddenly, her eyes changed, and they widened, in fear. Naruto immediately disliked her expression. Fear did not suit her. She seemed so much prettier with her calm and gentle smile.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, "my dad's here."

"Oh?" Naruto didn't comprehend why she was so afraid. "Then I'll tell him he should stop picking on you so much, Hinata-chan!"

"No," Hinata told him urgently, "my dad's really strong."

Naruto puffed out his chest arrogantly. "I'm strong too! I'm gonna be Hokage!"

Hinata offered him a small smile, but cringed as her father, a tall man, drew closer.

"Hinata," he called, voice dripping with ice.

Hinata bowed her head. "Father..."

"Who is this?" he asked, although it was apparent in his tone that he knew exactly who Naruto was.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto boasted proudly.

"I thought so." Hyuuga Hiashi didn't look pleased. He didn't want his daughter, as weak as she was, to be seen with the likes of him. There was a reason the villagers scorned the young boy. He had an unusual power sealed inside him. Not only was he a reminder of the torment the village had gone through, Hiashi was convinced that the Kyubi would not remain sealed in him for long. And he would not allow his daughter, for she was still his flesh and blood, to become a sacrifice. "Hinata, I forbid you to ever see or speak to him again."

Hinata let out a petrified gasp, and Naruto clenched his fists and glared furiously at Hiashi. "You can't say stuff like that!" he yelled.

"I can," Hiashi told him straightforwardly. "She is my daughter. She lives in my house. She lives under my rules."

"But she's my friend!"

"She is not allowed to see or speak to you ever again," the tall man repeated.

"No!" Naruto stamped his foot, refusing to believe what he was hearing. Here was his first and only friend, and he was not going to let her cruel father take her away from him! "You can't take Hinata-chan away!"

Hiashi eyed him scornfully, taking his daughter by the arm and leading her away. Hinata bit her lip. She didn't want to be taken away from Naruto, but even at the young age of five, she already knew that her father's word was law.

"Father!" She tugged at his arm, flinching when he turned his gaze on her stonily. "I -- I want to -- I want to say goodbye."

"You have no need to do such things," her father told her.

Normally, Hinata would have obeyed, but something inside her drove her to go on. "Please, Father," she pleaded, looking at him straight in the eye, something she had been taught never to do. "Please."

Hiashi sucked in his breath. For a moment, Hinata had looked exactly like her mother.

"Go," he relented, gruffly. "You have one minute."

Hinata rushed off to the angry boy, who was kicking sand everywhere, eyes unusually dark. "Naruto-kun!"

His eyes instantly lit up, "Hinata-chan!" Then they darkened again, "I don't like that man."

"He's my father, Naruto-kun."

"I don't care!" Naruto fumed. "You're still my friend! You're not gonna go away, right?"

Hinata avoided his eyes. "...I have to."

"What?! Why?!"

"I have to listen to my dad," Hinata whispered. This was hurting her, more than she'd ever expected it to.

"But --" Naruto fell off, broken. "We're -- we're -- friends --"

"I know." Hinata bit her lip. She rummaged around in her pockets, searching for something. She swallowed hard when she found it, and held it out to the blond boy who had found his way into her heart. "Here. For you."

"For me?" Naruto took it. It was a small, white seashell with specks of brown. "It looks cool."

"It was my mom's," Hinata told him in an undertone. "It's very special."

"Oh." Naruto's eyes widened. "Ohhh. I promise I'll take really good care of it, Hinata-chan." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and came out with a crude-looking rock which glistened in the sun. "You can have this, okay?"

Hinata took it graciously, admiring the way it shone when the sun's rays hit it. "I'll take care of it, too."

"And then, one day, we can see each other again, right?" Naruto's eyes gleamed hopefully.

Hinata nodded, smiling. "Right."

It would be seven years before the two of them crossed paths again. Seven years, filled with loneliness, pain, and hardship. But with the passing of seven years, relationships weaken and memories fade into dreams, as mere figments of the imagination...

---

He has finally made Chuunin. It is a fact he is willing to announce to the whole world. At the age of fourteen, after training for two long years with the Ero-sennin, he boasts that it is about damn time he finally got what he'd been wanting ever since he'd learned what Chuunin was.

Iruka-sensei had offered to take him to Ichiraku, and being who he was, he'd accepted. They had invited everyone, and everybody had turned up. Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura-chan, Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Lee, Shino, Kiba, Tenten, Neji... with a start, the blond Chuunin realizes that the one person who truly counts is the one who is missing.

"Hinata-chan?" he calls out, and immediately sees that it is useless with all the racket that is going on. There were drinks being served, Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin pointedly ignoring the fact that they were all underage. Tsunade-sama doesn't seem to mind, in fact, she is the one who is drinking the most.

He shrugs, telling himself that she is probably somewhere there, lost in the crowd. He digs in hungrily at his ramen.

He is Chuunin now.

He is not alone. Of course, Sasuke had made it, along with Shino, Lee, Kiba, Tenten, and Neji. He remembers, somewhat amusedly, how Gai had repeatedly rubbed it in Kakashi's face how his whole team had been promoted to Chuunin. Sakura was already in a bad mood upon tying, yet again, with Ino, and had proceeded to scream Gai's ears off, much to the pleasure of Kakashi.

Of those who had remained as Genin, there were Sakura-chan, Ino, Chouji, and...

"Hinata-chan." He has finished his bowl of ramen, and does not ask for seconds. He wonders fleetingly if she is hurt, or disappointed, or angry. He needs to find her. He needs to talk to her. He does not stop to ask himself why, he just knows, instinctively, that it is something he must do.

He jumps off his stool, pushing through the large crowd of people that have already turned up. He frowns to himself when he realizes that he does not know half of the people there. Judging by the amount of teenage girls there, he blames it all on Ero-sennin.

The cool whip of air that meets his face is refreshing. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the dark-haired girl standing a little way off, staring out at the setting sun. Naruto inwardly remarks to himself that is a beautiful sight, even though he is not much for saying such things.

There, he thinks to himself, is the girl he swore he would protect. He was her guardian angel. He had promised her so, and he would not break his promise, ever.

"Hinata-chan!" He calls out to her, a smile already stretching out across his face. She turns to face him, slightly smiling.

"Naruto-kun," she says, softly. "Congratulations."

Since then, she has stopped stammering so much around him. She is no longer as quiet, offering her opinions and contributing to their conversations every so often. Although she is not as outgoing as Sakura-chan or Ino, he would not have her any other way.

"Thank you," he replies, and he means it. Then, "Are you okay?"

She smiles, obviously a forced one. "Sure."

Naruto surveys her carefully. He has known her for far too long to be unable to tell that she is lying. "C'mon, don't lie to me."

Hinata's smile fades. "I don't know, Naruto-kun. I really don't."

"It's okay," Naruto offers, standing next to her. "I saw your fight. You did great."

Hinata's smile returns, but it is meager compared to her usual smiles. But Naruto was telling the truth; he really had thought that Hinata had done a good job. She had improved greatly over the years, but she had still lost, lost against one of the other Genins from the other villages.

"I don't really mind," she tells him, voice soft, "I'm used to disappointment. It's my father that I'm worried about."

"Your dad?" Naruto remembers that he has never met Hinata's father before.

She nods, sighing. "My dad has always thought of me as weak. Now, I'm already fourteen, and still a Genin. Even Hanabi, my nine-year-old sister, is stronger than I am."

Something strikes Naruto -- the playground, sitting in the sandbox, at three o'clock in the afternoon... but he quickly shakes it off. "Your dad doesn't sound very nice."

"He's... strict," Hinata admits. "But I guess I can understand where he's coming from. I am part of the Hyuuga clan, after all. I'm expected to be strong. I'm the oldest. I was next in line to be head. But since I am too weak, my father just overlooked me, and concentrates on Hanabi."

For some reason, this outrages Naruto. Hinata was always trying her hardest. It was unjust for her father to simply overlook her. She worked hard to be where she is now.

"Don't listen to them," he soothes her, "People always told me I'd never make it. And look at me now."

Hinata smiles, a small wry grin. "Yes, but you have a little help, don't you?" Her eyes flicker to his stomach, where she knows the seal is contained.

"Ehe." Naruto scratches at the back of his head. "You got me there." Hinata is one of the few people whom Naruto trusts with his secret. He is aware that all the adults know, but the only kids around his age who know are Sakura-chan, Sasuke, and Hinata. He doesn't feel a need to tell anyone else.

"Maybe," Hinata muses, "some people are just born weak." She hurries on before Naruto can interject, "Like the way some people are born good singers and dancers."

Naruto is temporarily silenced. "Well..." He shrugs, "I guess if you're born a crappy singer, there's nothing you can do about it. Even if you take a bunch of lessons. But that's different from being weak. If you work hard enough, you can become strong. I mean... you've gotten really strong in the past years, don't you think?"

"Do you really think so?" Hinata sounds hopeful.

Naruto nods, energetically. "Sure!"

Hinata smiles. "Then I'll be sure to make Chuunin next time, right?"

Naruto nods again. "Right!"

They share a moment, but then the loud noises coming from inside Ichiraku makes Hinata ask, "Why aren't you inside with them? It's your party, right?"

Naruto frowns as he ponders his answer. "I dunno," he finally replies, "I got bored, and I went out to look for you. I mean, I guess I'd rather be with you than with them." He jerks a thumb towards the ramen bar, "Besides, Ero-sennin invited all these girls." Naruto laughs uneasily. "Y'know I'm uncomfortable around girls."

Hinata knows. The only girls Naruto feels comfortable around are her and Sakura. She understands why he isn't uncomfortable around Sakura, for they were teammates. But she doesn't understand why he is so at ease with her.

In a rare show of courage, Hinata swallows, and asks, "Why aren't you uncomfortable with me?"

He looks surprised that she even has to ask. He gives her one of his cheeky smiles before replying, "Because I'm your guardian angel, right? A guardian angel can't be uncomfortable around the one he's supposed to protect."

Hinata blinks. Then, she realizes... that is such an Uzumaki Naruto answer. She feels silly for even thinking about asking him such a question. She bursts out into peals of light, airy laughter, and he joins her.

t.b.c.

I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews. **b-chan1**, your comment about me being a "lean writing machine" cracked me up. Sooo, thanks! **ximena-san**, I read a couple of paragraphs of "Chicharong Flower" and I started to feel dizzy. Eheh. I haven't been to the Philippines in years, after all. syao-chan's an amazing writer, though. Oooh, alam mo, alam mo, minsan, pumunta ako sa Tagalog mass... and muntik na ako magkatulog! Hahah.. masyadong malalim ang Tagalog eh.. ;;;;

OK, there was a bit of a time-lapse. I dunno. Just... came out this way. I'm pleased with it, though. And I decided to make Hinata's mother dead, just to add a bit of drama... and it will also produce some really cute WAFFy moments! XD


	4. Chapter 4

****

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 4

It has been two weeks since Naruto left on his first ever mission as a Chuunin. Leading him is his former teacher, Kakashi-sensei, and he is accompanied by Neji and Shikamaru.

Yet... even though he is together with many strong people, she cannot help but be worried about him.

He left her with a smile, like he always does. She remembers waking up particularly early seven days ago, waiting for him outside his apartment. She always does so. Even back when they were both still Genin, she always saw him off right before he left.

_"Good luck,"_ she would say, a comforting smile on her lips, _"Come back safe."_

To which he would reply, _"Of course I'll come home safe! I can't ditch the girl I swore I'd protect!"_ And then he would give her a quick hug before bounding off exuberantly towards his meeting place.

Hinata sighs, sliding open the sliding door and embracing the fresh breeze that meets her as she steps out onto the balcony. This is her special place. Naruto does not know about it for she has never let him visit her at her house. Something inside her instinctively tells her that her father would not be pleased to know that she has been associating with him, and she always visits him at his house, never the other way around.

She closes the sliding door behind her as she steps carefully towards the railing, her pale hands embracing the cold, rusted metal.

She cannot shake off this feeling that has come over her. She doesn't understand why. Naruto has gone on so many missions before, and although she has always prayed for his safety, she has never felt so uneasy, like now.

"I wonder," she murmurs, "is he all right?"

Immediately she regrets her words and berates herself for her unnecessary worries.

He told her he would come home safe. Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word, she mentally reminds herself, he never does. He never has.

So if he tells her that he will protect her and be her guardian angel forever, she knows he will do so.

And...

If he tells her that he will come home safely...

She knows he will.

She trusts him, with all her heart.

---

"Naruto," Kakashi tells his former student dryly, "are you asking for an ambush?"

Naruto huffs and crosses his eyes at the gray-haired man. Even in the span of two years, a person can only change so much, after all. "Well, it's so boring!" he protests, "you can't blame me for wanting some action!"

"Don't go asking for trouble," Shikamaru warns, "you usually get it in the end."

"Then, that's good!"

Neji scoffs, shaking his head. "Moron. I want some action too, but the more peaceful this is, the sooner we can complete our mission, and the sooner we can go home."

"Home, huh." Naruto sighs. "I guess I wouldn't mind having some ramen when we get back."

"Ramen, ramen, ramen." Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "That's all you have on your mind, isn't it?"

"Well, what else is there?" Naruto challenges.

"A certain girl," Kakashi replies for the pineapple-haired boy. "Your precious girlfriend."

"What?" Naruto sounds angry and confused. "I don't have a girlfriend!"

The uncharacteristic silence tells him that no one believes him, not even for a second.

"Oi," the blond growls in an undertone, remembering just in time that they are on a mission, a mission to bring some kind of scroll to the Cloud Country. "What do you mean?"

"Hinata-sama," Neji replies, the bitter tone that is usually embedded into his tone whenever discussing the Main family is long gone by now.

"Look at that," Kakashi whistles softly, "even Neji knows."

"Knows what?" The frustration is evident in the newly promoted Chuunin's voice. "What is it you guys aren't telling me?"

"If you even have to ask," Shikamaru replies wryly, "then you really don't deserve to know."

"What?" Naruto repeats, scratching his head, blue eyes narrowing. He does not understand what they are saying. He hates being left out of the loop.. but for some reason or other, he was always the last to know about things.

"Naruto," Neji finally says when no one replies, "in case you've forgotten, we are on a mission."

Naruto scowls at the lack of response, but shuts his mouth anyway and continues walking on.

---

This is the first time she had been separated from Naruto for so long. Usually, his missions as a Genin kept him away for three to four days at the most. But when he had told her about this mission, he'd stated that it could take many weeks.

It is already noon, and Hinata had eaten a quick lunch back at her house. Now she is strolling through the park, staring down at the tufts of grass at her feet. Somehow, life seemed so... boring.

"Maybe it's because Naruto-kun isn't here," she murmurs. Instantly, a light blush crosses her cheeks. She is, of course, past the phase when the mere thought of her blond friend would cause her cheeks to redden like tomatoes. But she would be lying if she said she didn't have any feelings for him.

They are friends. Best friends, actually... she admitted. They talk with one another, and they feel at ease with one another. It had been a strange friendship, she had to say, but it had lasted throughout the years. That's what mattered, right?

She never said anything, of course. They already have a perfectly good friendship going. Who would want to ruin the friendship by blurting out something that was better left unsaid? Hinata watched television when she could, and she had a good idea of what would happen if she were to tell Naruto her feelings for him.

The only really frustrating part is that everybody -- and she does mean everybody -- knows about her secret feelings for him. Everybody, except him.

"But then..." She trails off, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "maybe that's a good thing."

She is confused. She is tired, dead tired.

And she is lonely.

And she knows that the cause of it all is him.

Her best friend. Her guardian angel.

Sometimes, if she thinks too deeply about it, it will frighten her... frighten her that she could ever need someone so much. But she does need him. Whenever he is away, she doesn't know what to do. She is frustratedly lost. And she feels empty. He is, after all, her only true friend. She spends days with him, days that she can cherish forever.

What is it about him? There is nothing special about him. Blond hair, blue eyes, the stubbornness of a mule, the characteristic pride of a man... The strength of a ninja, the unusual power of the Kyubi..

And...

His unyielding determination, which shines through at the most crucial moments.

His smile... an honest, bright smile which can lift her out of depression in mere seconds.

His heart... A heart like no one else's. A heart which she has felt beating calmly when he gives her a hug. A strong heart, a heart that feels her and knows her.

That, she thought, is the boy who captured her heart.

---

"Do you hear that?" Naruto hisses, stopping dead in his tracks and straining his ears to listen. Beside him, he hears the other three men do the same.

Deathly silence.

"I heard something," insists Naruto, refusing to budge from his spot.

"Let's just go," Shikamaru tells him, raising his eyebrows. Naruto stares furiously at the tree-lined road, and then reluctantly follows him.

"It could be your imagination," Kakashi contributes, a slight sing-song tone in his voice.

Naruto scowls, and Neji silently activates his Byaakugan, producing a sudden burst of chakra that died down almost immediately after. The other men turned to the white-eyed boy in questioning.

Neji doesn't have to answer. The abrupt rainfall of kunai and shuriken on them does it for him.

---

By the time the sky gets dark, Hinata has already made it back to her house. Dinner is served promptly, and she primly eats it with her chopsticks.

"How was your day, Hinata-sama?" One of the servants asks. Hinata recognizes her as the one who cleans her room daily, and she smiles in return.

"It was all right." And, as she is the only one who ever bothers to ask, "How was yours?"

The servant laughs. "Cleaning the bathroom and washing the floors. I suppose it could be better."

Hinata laughs softly as she finishes up the remainder of her rice. Dinner is always a quiet affair for her. Breakfast, she usually eats on her own. Same with lunch. But dinner is the one time of the day she cannot escape the Main family.

"Hanabi," one of the elders ask, "how is your training going?"

"Fine," her sister replies, "I can throw ten kunai now."

The elder smiles in appreciation.

Ten kunai, huh? Hinata forces herself to sit up straight. She is only able to throw seven, and even then she is barely able to hit all her targets.

"How about you, Hinata?" Another elder, sitting adjacent to the previous one, "how many kunai do you throw now?"

Hinata closes her eyes briefly, "Seven."

"Ah." The brief shutting of her eyelids is not enough to blind her from their taunting sneers, come and gone in the span of a few seconds.

Why couldn't they accept her for who she is? All right, so she is weaker than her nine-year-old sister. But there are kids all over the world that are stronger than Jounin level. She remembers Naruto gasping unbelievably that his teacher, Kakashi, had made Chuunin when he was only six.

She doesn't belong in this world. In their world.

She wishes that Naruto was here. If he was here... he would never let them talk about her like this. It is part of his duty as a guardian angel, he would say.

But he isn't here. Not right now.

She has to deal with this on her own.

She is vaguely aware that they have switched topics now, but the penetrating, cold stares of the elders as she verbally admits defeat to her younger sister is forever embedded into her brain. Naruto never cared about whether she was strong or weak, she thinks wistfully to herself, why couldn't they?

Usually she would remain at her seat, pretending to listen, yet allowing her mind to drift elsewhere to think of other things. But not today. Today, she was too tired, too damn tired.

"Excuse me," she murmurs as she slowly rises from her seat. Behind her, she can still hear them talking. One of the elders notes something about her pale skin and trembling hands. They have branded her as weak.

There is a painful tugging at her heart. It is the constant reminder that she was not the daughter her father had wished to have. Hanabi was that daughter. She was not, and she had been cast away as a result.

There is no place for her here.

The only place she had ever truly belonged was with Naruto, anyway. He never passed judgment on her, he simply accepted her and asked no questions.

"I wonder where he is right now," she whispers softly as she sits on her bed. It is only eight-thirty, but she is already wanting to climb into bed, to burrow under the protection of her covers.

Suddenly, there is an uproar coming from outside her room. There are the sounds of chaos and anger, the bustling of people moving about. She hears the door slam repeatedly, but no one bothers to inform her of the situation. She grabs her jacket, hanging from the hook beside her dresser, and swings open her door. She raises a hand to grab the attention of one of the other servants.

"Excuse me," she asks, always polite to the very last, "what is happening?"

The servant, calm, answers, "Hyuuga Neji, of the Branch family..."

Hinata's heart stops. "Yes? What happened?" Neji had found favor in her father's eyes. Of course he would, seeing as he had so much power and talent. It was easy to see he favored his nephew more than his own daughter.

"He came back with his team, Hinata-sama," The servant bows slightly. "But he is injured."

Hinata gasps, "Are his injuries grave?"

The servant shrugs, "I don't know."

Hinata nods, and thanks her for her input. She quickly puts her jacket and shoes on, and rushes off towards the hospital. Her heart was thrashing wildly.

Naruto had been on Neji's team.

---

As it is proper to visit family first, Hinata tiptoes into Neji's room. There are bandages covering his body, some of them already soaked through with blood. His right leg is in a cast, and he is unconscious. Members of the Main and Branch family crowded around the room. Hinata fidgets, staying only for a few minutes. She is able to escape and go to the front desk.

"Excuse me," she begins, voice soft, "could you tell me where Uzumaki Naruto's room is?"

There is a dreaded feeling in the pit of her stomach. It tells her that he is here, as well. There was an ambush along the way, and all of the members on his team had received some kind of injury. She had heard, however, that it was Neji who had the worst injuries, simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The nurse smiles, "He's in Room 201."

Hinata thanks her and quickly walks down the halls, searching for his room. When she finds it, she opens it without hesitation.

"Hinata-chan!" He isn't seriously injured, and Hinata lets out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It looked like his left arm was broken, and there were a few scrapes and cuts on his body, but he is in far better shape than Neji was. She rushes to his side.

"Naruto-kun," she whispers, eyes wet. "I thought you were..." She doesn't finish her sentence.

"Hey, hey..." He frowns upon seeing the tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. He slowly raises his right arm and brushes them away, using the soft gauze bandages wrapped around his wrist. "Don't cry."

"I can't help it," she replies. "I thought..."

"You thought I was a goner?" Naruto beams and shakes his head. "You have to have a little faith, Hinata-chan! I promised you I'd come back, didn't I?"

Hinata smiles through her tears, which are still falling. "Yes. You did."

"Don't cry," he repeats, "I don't like it when you cry."

Hinata swallows and furiously rubs at her eyes. "I thought," she managed, without breaking out into sobs, "you said it was okay to cry if I was happy."

"Eheh." He grins sheepishly. "Well... not for you," he admits, "I don't like seeing you cry, period."

She gasps, and Naruto clumsily reaches for a tissue. He hands it to her, and she accepts it graciously.

"I'm glad you're okay," she tells him sincerely, sniffling a little bit.

"I'm glad you're here," he replies, grinning widely. "They said they wanted to keep me here for two days." His grin fades, "I hate being here in the hospital."

Her eyes are still wet, but the tears have stopped falling. "I'll visit you. I promise."

He is now uncomfortable, and she can tell this because he isn't looking at her in the eye. "Say, Hinata-chan?"

She cannot help but smile at his childish cuteness. "Yes?"

"...do you... do you think you could... stay with me?"

Hinata sucks in a little air, biting her lip afterwards. She wants to, but will her father allow it?

Another voice adds, somewhat bitterly, He wouldn't care, anyway.

"Of course," she answers, smiling slightly. It may be uncomfortable, sleeping hunched over beside him, but she doesn't mind. She never does, not if it's for him.

---

"Where is Hinata?" Hyuuga Hiashi asks no one in particular. Nobody else cares, but he would like to know, at the very least, where his oldest daughter is at.

Hanabi replies, "I'll look for her, Father."

Hiashi nods, asking someone else, "Did she even come?"

Nobody knew, and Hanabi throws them all disgusted glances. She hates the way her sister is treated. Although her relationship with her is rocky, she admires the way her sister continues to work hard, and strives to achieve her goals. She had a difficult time saying such things, so she never said anything at all. But she never demeans her, not like them.

Anyway, she has an inkling of where her older sister is...

Striding towards the front desk, she asks the nurse on duty for Uzumaki Naruto's room. Upon receiving the room number, she heads for his room. She is about to turn the knob and go in when something inside her stops her from doing so. Instead, she peers in through the little glass window in the right-hand side of the door. The sight of Naruto, fast asleep, and her sister, sitting in the plastic chair, with her head buried in her arms and hunched over beside him, caused a little smile to appear on her normally unemotional face.

When she meets back with her father and he asks her if she has seen Hinata, she replies, looking at him directly in the eye with a perfectly straight face, that she hasn't.

t.b.c.

Eek. I don't know, that last part kinda... fell apart? [[blinks]] It's just, you BARELY see Hanabi in the manga, so I don't exactly know her feelings for her sister. [[shrugs]]

****

NuttyScribbler - I know, I felt awful when I was writing the last chapter because it was similar to "Sunshine." I felt like I was copying off you. But I'd already planned that scene out in my head before I read that chapter, and I couldn't come up with anything else... [[cries]] But I hope it won't become any more similar to yours... **b-chan1** - I get like, six hours of sleep. Eheh. And then I spend the remaining eighteen hours in front of my computer. XD OK, maybe not eighteen hours, but a considerable amount in front of my computer. My parents are always telling me to get off, since my eyes are little more than pieces of crap. Seriously, the grade on my glasses are like... 400-something? o.O **ximena-san** - Still, I admire all the filipino writers! They're amazing at Tagalog, naturally, but they're so good at English, too! Woooow... **HimitsuKokorO - **Oooh, you're Ilocano? My dad's Ilocano. I only know some Tagalog, and I don't know ANY Ilocano. So it's annoying, since if my dad has something he doesn't want to tell me, he'll talk in Ilocano. [[glares]]


	5. Chapter 5

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

For the **Prime Minister**, who pointed out that "frustratedly" is NOT a word. o.O Boy, do I feel stupid. I must have used that word a million times... but c'mon, it SOUNDS real, doesn't it? XD Anyhow, thank you veeeery much!

Chapter 5

Naruto gulps, audibly, and backs away from his teacher. He is currently giving him the "evil eye" and doesn't look like he is about to leave any time soon.

"Wh -- What?" he asks, cringing.

"I said," Jiraiya replies, in a no-nonsense tone, "what is going on between you and Hinata?"

"Me and Hinata?" Naruto is so surprised by the question that he forgets that one of the Three Sennins is looming over him, emanating a very menacing aura. "We're just friends!"

The aura dispels. "What? Really?" He scrunches up his eyes disbelievingly.

"Yeah!" Naruto nods vehemently. "What else would we be?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jiraiya shrugs. "I thought maybe you two were... more than friends."

"More than friends?" Naruto wrinkles his nose. "How'd you figure that?"

"It's not just me who thinks so," Jiraiya informs him matter-of-factly. "Everybody thinks so."

"Whaaat?" The blond cries in horror. "How the hell did **I** end up as the latest piece of gossip?"

"Well," Jiraiya sets his weight against a nearby boulder, ticking the reasons off his fingers, "you two do spend an awful lot of time together. And you seem so close. Plus, you're really cute together. Like a rabid mutt and a refined, elegant poodle."

Naruto glowers at the less than flattering analogy. "There's nothing going on between me and Hinata-chan," he insists, stubbornly. "We're only friends."

"Just friends?" Jiraiya towers over him, and Naruto is suddenly very aware of his tall height.

"Yeah!" He answers, defiantly.

"How about best friends? Gimme that one, at least."

Naruto scowls. "Okay. Fine. Best friends."

Jiraiya grinned. "Now we're talking."

Naruto fumes, stomping angrily through the town, pointedly ignoring the stares he attracted from the villagers. He felt lousy, like not even a bowl of ramen would cheer him up. And it was all that damned Ero-sennin's fault.

"What a loud of crap," he mutters, although exactly why he is so angry, he is unsure. "Me and Hinata-chan, more than friends. That's stupid."

But... and Naruto realizes this uncomfortably, there is a small part of him that doesn't think it is so stupid. He had been pretty good friends with Hinata for a long time. And, she didn't look down on him or scorn him because of the demon sealed inside him. And, she is really nice, and kind, and gentle... and she cooks him ramen whenever he asks for it!

_And_, some unknown voice from within him adds, slyly, _she's pretty!_

Really? Naruto scratches at his head, slowly processing this newfound information. Is she really that pretty? He's never noticed, of course. Nobody thinks **that** way about their best friend.

_Sure, she is!_ The voice continues. _You know, Kiba's been after her for ages._

What?! Some kind of unexplainable feeling, akin to rage, rises up in him. He has?! Why am I only learning this now?!

_Because you never pay attention to these kinds of things,_ the voice replies, sounding slightly exasperated.

Well, why should I, anyway? Naruto frowns. It's not my business. A good Hokage doesn't need to gossip.

_Yeah. But Hokages should be good at collecting information._

Naruto had no reply to the voice inside his head.

_I was right, wasn't I?_

..... Naruto resists the urge to slap himself on the head, mainly because one, it would hurt, and two, he didn't need to lower the villagers' opinions of him any less, I'm not going to talk with some stupid voice inside my head.

The conversation ends promptly at that point, with Naruto refusing to reply to whatever comebacks or snappy retorts the voice in his head managed to come up with.

But despite this, the voice in his head, and Ero-sennin... they had both won.

Because now, they had the blond shinobi thinking.

The picnic blanket is checkered bright red and white, and she brings out the large thermos carrying his beloved chicken ramen. She giggles softly at the grin that is already spreading across his face.

"Ramen!" He exclaims. "Ooh, and it's still hot. Hurry, hurry, before it gets cold!"

"Un," she answers, handing him a styrofoam bowl. He accepts it, flinching as his stomach growls loudly. She laughs again, and he also takes the thermos from her. He is starving, as always, and he wants his ramen now. He screws off the cap and tilts it towards the bowl, but in his haste, spills half of the entire thing on his exposed arm.

"Gah!" He hisses, flinging the thermos and his partially filled bowl away. He shakes his arm, as if the pain will go away. When that doesn't work, he blows at it, wincing as his skin turns red.

"Naruto-kun!" She is concerned, her white eyes narrowed as they survey his red skin. "Lucky for you it wasn't very hot..."

"That wasn't very hot?" he repeats, unbelievingly. "It feels like I just stuck my arm in a fire!"

"I'm sorry. But," Hinata gestures to the lake behind them, "you can soak your arm in the lake for awhile."

"Oh." Naruto had a few seconds to feel stupid, and then he ran to the lake, letting a sigh of relief escape his lips as the cool water eased the pain. Hinata followed him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" He flashes her a thumbs-up with his other arm, the one that was still in a cast from his last mission. "Although..." He frowns, "we wasted all that ramen."

Hinata smiles, patiently, "We can always go to Ichiraku."

Naruto frowns. "But you made that ramen, didn't you? It tastes better when you make it."

"Oh..." Hinata swallows, red littering her cheeks, "thanks."

"No problem!" Naruto grins, and then it falters, for the first time noticing her rosy cheeks. He remembers that annoying little voice that had bothered him, the one that had said that she was pretty. He bites his lip. He didn't understand how he could have missed it before. She really **is** pretty, way cuter than Sakura-chan had ever been.

Her cheeks flame up even more when she realizes that he is staring at her. To break the uncomfortable silence, she gently lifts his hand out of the water. "It looks fine," she states, softly.

"Ah." He forces himself to look at his arm, considerably less red than it had been. "Yeah, it feels better."

"Well, that's good." She half-smiles at him.

"Yeah!" Somehow, the conversation had fallen apart. He doesn't understand how, or why. But, it had begun with him saying something about how good her ramen tasted, and then she had blushed, and then he had realized that she looked really pretty when she blushed, and then... here they were. "Let's go, then," he blurts out, instantly not liking the silence. "To Ichiraku."

"Sure," she replies. "Let me just clean up, okay?"

"Yeah." He nods, watching as she stands up and offers him a hand. He takes it, noticing how her skin was kind of pale, yet really smooth... He shakes his head as he stands up. What is he thinking?!

The sun droops down lower in the sky. It is late afternoon, and Hinata suddenly realizes this. Her hands freeze in the middle of folding the picnic blanket.

"Oh," she says, hope flooding from her face. "Naruto-kun, I have to go to dinner. With my family."

"With your family?" Naruto doesn't understand. This is the first time he has been out so late with Hinata, anyway, they usually met each other in the mornings. "Can't you miss one dinner?"

But Hinata shakes her head. "No, I can't. My family always insists that I eat dinner with them."

Naruto frowns, deeply upset, but he won't show it. "But we can see each other tomorrow?"

Hinata nods. "Of course."

He smiles, slightly, but Hinata can tell that he is less than happy with the turn of events. Biting her lip, she adds, hastily, "But I don't have to be home for another half-hour. Why don't we go to your apartment? Watch some T.V.?"

Naruto brightens up. "Okay!"

His apartment is messy. It always is. Clothes strewn everywhere, the unmistakable scent of ramen and miso. But whenever she is here, he knows she doesn't mind. That's one of the reasons he likes her so much. She doesn't judge him.

"Don't mind the mess," he informs her, moving some of his clothes off the couch to make room for her. "Just find a spot, okay?"

"Okay," she answers. The remote control to the thirteen-inch television is buried underneath his jeans. She presses the on button, and proceeds to flip through the channels. Minutes later, he joins her, jumping on the messy pile of his belongings.

"What's on?" he asks.

"Nothing much," she says. "Here's a movie. About a blind man."

Naruto wrinkles his nose. "How about a movie with some action?"

"Umm," Hinata pauses to flip through the channels, stopping when she reaches one with some violent gunfighting, "how's this?"

He grins in reply. "Perfect."

She smiles. It is so like him to prefer a movie with violence. She didn't quite understand what it was about action movies that Naruto loved so much, but she never asked. Naruto was Naruto.

Which was why she was so surprised when she heard him snoring quietly beside her.

"Naruto-kun?" She tilted her head off to the side. But, there was no doubt about it, he was asleep. She shakes her head. That, too, is very characteristic of him. "I suppose you're tired." She didn't know what she was doing, but somehow her hands had threaded themselves in his blond hair. "With all the training you've had to do with Jiraiya-sama."

She glances at the clock. "I have to go now, okay?" She whispers. She is still playing with his hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

She jumps in fright when his arm clutches around her wrist. His eyes are half-open, and they gaze blearily at her. She struggles to calm her pounding heart. "Oh. Naruto-kun.."

"Are you leavin'?" He yawns, and his eyes continuously threaten to close.

"I have to," she answers, gently.

"Ohh.." His eyes fell shut. They opened slightly, "Hey... sing me a lullaby..." They closed again.

"A lullaby?" She is surprised by the request. "But why --" She breaks off, remembering the sort of childhood Naruto had. He didn't have to explain, but he did, semi-consciously.

"No one ever..." He buried his head further into the couch pillows, his grip slightly loosening against her wrist, "...sang to me before..."

Hinata smiles, pulling her wrist out of his grip. She searches for a blanket, but when she finds none, takes a thick, wool sweater and drapes it over his body. She strokes his hair, and the words of the lullaby her mother used to sing with her came pouring out of her throat in her soft, high voice.

"Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top... when the wind blows, the cradle will rock... when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall..." She pauses, a small smile appearing on her lips when his snores fill the room, "...and down will come baby, cradle and all."

She strides to the front door, lingering for a few seconds, taking in the scent of the apartment, listening to his quiet snores, and the way he will continuously toss and turn on the couch.

Yet... although the apartment is small, cramped, messy, and far less spacious or luxurious than the house she is used to, she would gladly live here, with him, rather than back there, where everyone hates her.

t.b.c.

Ehe, well, if that wasn't just a big bowl of random fluff, I don't know **what** is. Sorry for the delay in the update, but the demon known as **school** has started for me, and this means, less frequent updates. [[sighs]] Yeah. I know. Sucks, doesn't it?

A reviewer mentioned that he/she was confused about Naruto and Hinata's ages. This story is set a little bit into the future. I'm thinking Naruto and Hinata are about fifteen-ish, in this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6

Beads of sweat trickle down her face. The kunai targets are placed on opposite sides of her, and she clutches eight kunai, four in her left hand, four in her right. She is usually able to throw only seven, but maybe, today...

She crouches down into her position, and in the blink of an eye, she jumps, whirling into the air, and her hands spring up, kunai flying.

Four hit the right target perfectly, a dull _thud_ heard in confirming. Two hit the left target, and the other two land, inches away, from her bent form.

"Ohh.." She groans, disappointed. She knows it is because she is right-handed that she was unable to have all of her kunai hit the west target. She slowly picks herself up, surveying the targets. And Hanabi could throw ten of these kunai, perfectly?

She has been at this for an hour already. Sit-ups, push-ups, stretching, running... but throwing shuriken and kunai were her worst subjects. Her hands are too small, Kurenai-sensei had told her once, and therefore they are unable to hold too many kunai and shuriken. Hinata stares down at her two hands, stretching out the palms and the fingers, as if by doing so they will suddenly grow larger.

"Okay," she whispers to herself in absolute determination. "One more time."

She leaps up into the air and grabs the kunai from both targets, and lands gracefully, on bended knee, on the soft, dry earth. She also retrieves the two kunai that had fallen on the ground, and closes her eyes.

"Breathe in, and out," she murmurs, almost like a chant.

It happens in a blink of an eye: She is flurrying about, in midair, in a storm of kicks and punches. Then, she performs a somersault in midair, falls gracefully to the earth, and lets go of her kunai.

One muffled thud after another, Hinata holds her breath.

_Clunk_.

She sighs, opening her eyes again. One kunai had hit one of the nearby trees. She runs a hand through her hair, somewhat frustratedly, and goes off in the darkness to reclaim it.

With a little difficulty, she wrenches the metal blade from the tough trunk of the tree.

"That wasn't bad at all."

"Ah!" She squeaks in surprise, accidentally letting go of the kunai. She closes her eyes, bracing herself for the sound of metal scraping against flesh, but it never comes. She warily blinks open, and sighs in relief when she sees Naruto, grinning widely, twirling the kunai around with his fingers.

"You wanted to kill me, Hinata-chan?" he jokes.

"I'm sorry!" She apologizes profusely, and then goes on, "That wasn't funny." She runs over to him, checking to make sure he hadn't gotten scraped.

"I'm fine," he reassures her. "I'm not a Chuunin for nothing, you know."

The mention of the rank sends her mood tumbling down sharply. "Ah. Right."

He notices the change in her expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lies, quickly. There is no need to worry him.

"Aw, don't lie to me." He crosses his arms over his chest. Hinata sighs, and plops down, leaning back against a tree.

"It's just," she answers, furrowing her brow, all traces of a smile vanishing from her face, "I'm fifteen, and I'm still a Genin."

"But," Naruto interjects, "you're still very strong, Hinata-chan."

"Thanks," she replies quietly. Usually, his words of encouragement helped her, but not today.

He says nothing for awhile, and then, "You don't believe me, do you."

Hinata draws her knees up to her chin. "I'd like to, Naruto-kun. But I can only throw seven kunai, still. Hanabi can throw ten, maybe even more by now. She's five years younger than me, and already she surpasses me in power."

"But Hinata --"

"I'm fifteen now." She cuts him off. "In three years, I'm supposed to become the official head of the Hyuuga clan. Those are the key words, supposed to be. Instead, my father doesn't see me at all. Hanabi is ten now, and already they're talking excitedly about the time she will take over the clan."

"Then don't listen to them!" Naruto tells her sharply.

"How?" Hinata asks, semi-doubtfully, partly hopefully. "I live with them. I see those dirty glances they throw at me when they think I'm not looking."

"Learn not to care," he replies simply. "You're forgetting, I experienced the same kind of thing. Seeing those glares the villagers gave me when they thought I wasn't looking. Wondering why they hated me so much. Even now, I still don't exactly understand what this damn fox can do, but, I've learned not to care."

Hinata exhales.

"You're you, right?" he goes on, squatting down to her level so that he can meet her eyes. "And Hanabi's Hanabi. You two are different. It's stupid to compare you two together."

Hinata manages to smile. "You sound like Shikamaru."

Naruto smiles, as well. "Yeah. Well. I'm always stuck with him on my missions."

"Okay." Hinata stands up, stretching, her dark mood dissipating. It always does, when she's around him. "You want to go to Ichiraku? My treat."

"All right!"

The scent in Ichiraku is warm and comforting. Steam rises from the kitchen. It is already crowded, and the sounds of people talking together combined with the cooking sounds from the kitchen would be enough to give anybody a headache. But with Hinata, it doesn't. It makes her feel good, because it reminds her of Naruto.

She takes a seat at the counter, Naruto taking his beside her. She places her usual order of pork ramen, while Naruto pores over the menu.

"Beef ramen," he decides. Hinata can't help but smile as she produces the necessary bills and coins to pay the bill. He always does the same thing, every time they go here.

He swivels on the chair, turning to face her. "Hey, Hinata-chan..."

She nods, "Yes?"

He leans forward, "I noticed you always ordered pork ramen."

The dark-haired girl doesn't comprehend. "...yes?"

"Well, why?"

The question is so simple, but Hinata could not find an answer. The waitress delivers their ramen, but she doesn't pay attention. In the meantime, Naruto is already breaking apart his wooden chopsticks and digging in.

"Because of my mom," she replies, finally.

"Your mom?" He faces her, noodles dangling out of his mouth. Hinata resists the urge to hand him a napkin. He swallows, licking up the stray noodles. "Y'know, now that I think about it, you've never talked about her."

"She's dead."

"Oh." Somehow, this felt all so familiar... There it went again, the image of a playground, on sunny afternoons, at precisely three o'clock... and there would be a girl, with dark hair, yet he could never see her face... and then, in the blink of an eye, the images were gone. "I'm... I'm sorry."

"She died when I was five," Hinata goes on. Somehow she feels numb. She hasn't talked about her mother to anyone for so long, not since the incident happened. "Sometime after Hanabi was born. She lost too much blood was what they told me, while giving birth."

She stares, desolately, at her ramen. "I don't know how, or exactly why, but I remember that she always cooked me pork ramen. Never anything else. So that's the only kind of ramen I eat."

"Do you... miss her?"

She nods. "Uh-huh. Everyday."

He fails to come up with a response. He sighs.

"Her death anniversary is coming up," she continues. "Next week."

"...oh." Naruto blinks. "Are you gonna visit her grave with your family?"

"I'll visit," Hinata answers. "But not with my family."

Naruto doesn't understand, "Why don't they want to go?"

"The elders disapproved of Mother," Hinata explains, in a soft voice. "But Father was in love. And he was the head of the clan at the time, they couldn't overrule his decision. When she finally died, there was talk that it wasn't because of the loss of blood..."

Naruto frowns, "But if your dad was in love with her, shouldn't he want to visit her?"

"He changed," she answers, "after Mother died. I don't understand why. But he changed, so much. Now he never talks about her."

Naruto is unable to come up with anything to say for awhile. "I'm sorry," he repeats, "that that happened to you."

Hinata shakes her head. "It's okay. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

Naruto meets her eyes. "Yeah?"

Hinata bites her lip, "Do you want to visit her with me next week?"

She surprises him. So much that for awhile, he is at a loss for words. He doesn't understand why.

"Sure I do," he answers, "but isn't she a very important person to you?"

Hinata nods in reply.

"Then..why me?"

Hinata smiles in reply, but doesn't say a word.

He tugs, anxiously, at his dark clothes. Previously they had agreed to meet at the Yamanakas' flower shop so that Hinata could buy some flowers to put on her mother's grave.

He would be lying if he said that he wasn't nervous. Because he was. This was Hinata-chan's mother, he thought to himself, someone who was, and is, a very important part of her life. And Hinata-chan was his best friend, as well as the girl he vowed to protect and look after forever.

"Naruto-kun!" she waves to him, a small smile on her face.

"Hi!" he says when she reaches him. He notices that she is wearing a dark-colored yukata. Although she is smiling, he can also see, very clearly, the saddened expression she tries to hide behind her eyes.

"I'm going to go get some flowers," she tells him softly, motioning towards the flower shop.

"Un," he replies, pushing the door open for her. Suddenly he feels so unsure. What should he do? Should he buy some flowers, as well? And if he should, then how much? Just a single blossom, or a whole bouquet?

"Hey, Hinata, Naruto," Ino greets them cheerfully from behind the counter, a bright smile pasted on her face. She's always smiling, Naruto thought absently, always so perky. He grins back at her, and Hinata returns with a soft smile of her own.

"Hi, Ino," she greets the blonde girl in her own soft voice. "I need some flowers."

"All right," answers the blonde, "what kind do you want?"

There is barely a pause, "Wisteria."

"Very pretty," Ino comments, striding over to the corner of the store and selecting a seemingly unharmed bouquet of wisteria. "Don't you think?" She holds out the purple flowers.

Naruto has seen Hinata smile many, many times... Her trademark smile is a simple, small smile, just a slight curving of the lips. But this, this is different. His breath catches in his throat, and he is unsure what to make of it. She stared, for the longest time, at the flowers. And then, in an instant, a smile slowly spread across her lips -- slowly, slowly. He couldn't rip his eyes away.

"They are," she says, a musical tone in her voice. "They're very beautiful."

Ino smiles genuinely in reply, and leads Hinata over to the counter. The dark-haired girl pays silently for the bouquet, and she steps out of the shop, Naruto in tow.

The trek to the cemetary is silent. Naruto cannot help but cringe at the sight of all the gravestones. Despite this, the cemetary was located on a high hill, overlooking rivers, trees, and flowers. He is so busy looking at the sights, his eyes roaming around the tombstones, an inexplicable curiousity rising within him that wants to know who is buried where.

"The Fourth," he murmurs, almost in awe at the tombstone that towered over him. His grave, of course, was isolated from the others, and considerably more ornate than the others.

"Nice, isn't it?" Hinata comments, appreciatively. "But... this is my mother's grave." She gestures to a plain, simple tombstone. She carefully lays down the bouquet of wisteria, kneels, and clasps her hands in prayer. Naruto, unsure of what to do, clasps his hands in the same gesture and watches the girl in front of him.

"Hinata-chan.."

She doesn't move. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"What was your..." Naruto hesitates, but he has already begun the question, "What was your mother like?"

He saw, with a slight pang, the way her shoulders stiffened and then relaxed. "She was very kind, and very gentle," she answers quietly. "She used to sing to me, all the time. She was a quiet woman, was what they told me. I don't exactly remember everything. She died when I was five." A smile crossed her lips. "She loved wisteria blossoms. And I loved her, more than anything in the world."

"She sounds..." Naruto grins, "a lot like you."

Hinata jerks in shock at the statement. "Me?"

"She does." A new voice joins them. A voice Hinata recognizes, and she turns around to face her younger sister. Hanabi bows slightly, clutching, also, a bouquet of wisteria.

"Hanabi-chan..." Hinata bites her lip. "Why are you here?" No one else ever visited her mother's grave. Not any of the elders. Not her father.

"She's my mother, too." Hanabi answers. There is no trace of emotion in her voice. She is not angry. She is not happy.

Two sisters, kneeling in front of their mother's grave.

Hinata's countenance has shifted. There is hope in her face, in her eyes.

"Father is looking for you." Hanabi's voice cuts in like a knife. Immediately, the hope in Hinata's face is replaced by fear, and Naruto has an urge to do something, anything to wipe that look off her face. He doesn't understand what has just happened, how a simple statement could change the mood so drastically.

"Me?" Hinata trembles visibly. "Why?"

"He noticed," came the reply. "That you haven't been at the house much lately. That you always seem to disappear. He gets curious."

Hinata's heart plummets down even further. "And?"

"That's all." Hanabi's long hair swishes as she turns. "But he's looking. And..." Her eyes flicker towards Naruto, "do you really think he'll let you keep seeing him?"

Hinata sinks to the ground.

"Hey!" Naruto cries, in an outrage. "What are you talking about?!"

Hanabi stares him down, evenly. "It's not like I'm the bad one here. I'm just telling you."

"Telling us **what**?!" Naruto doesn't understand, and this serves to make him even angrier. "Listen here! You better tell me exactly what the hell is going on or --"

"She," Hanabi gestures pointedly to her older sister, "is a Hyuuga. The Hyuuga's one of the most elite clans in the village, if not the most elite. And you're..." She doesn't continue.

Naruto clenches his hands into fists, ready and raring to let this ten-year-old have it. But before he can do so, Hanabi has already turned towards the exit.

"No," Hinata mumbles. "No. No, he can't."

His anger evaporates at the tone of her broken voice.

"What?" Naruto kneels down next to her, surprised at her shift in moods. "Dammit. I don't understand. What's going on?"

"Father..." Hinata shakes her head. "I don't think we can be friends anymore."

"What?!" Naruto practically explodes -- and somewhere in the back of his mind, fragmented memories keep haunting him, that sunny afternoon in the sand...

"My father is a strong, cold man." Hinata stares up at him, lost. "I always knew he would never let me see you, even as friends."

"But why?!" Naruto shouts, desperately.

"I don't know." Hinata buries her head in her hands, "but if I had to guess... maybe it's something about Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi..." Recognition dawns on the blond's face, "this damn fox..."

"He might hurt you." Hinata was going irrational now, eyes wide, fists clenched in fear. She didn't remember about Naruto and Kyuubi, only what her father would do. "I couldn't forgive myself if that ever happened. I don't think --"

"Stop it." Naruto's voice is deadly calm, filled with ice. Hinata gasps, almost in fright. She has never heard him speak in such a tone before. "I promised you that I would be your guardian angel. That I would protect you, and look out for you, and make sure that no harm ever comes to you." His face draws closer to her, and Hinata is forced to see that at the age of sixteen, his features have matured.

"But... what if..."

"I will never," Naruto hisses, "ever let anyone harm you."

"It's not me I'm worried about!" Hinata cries, "it's you!"

Naruto's eyes flickers, "Do you want to go away? Never see me again?"

"No! I --"

"You're one of the very few people that understand me. You're one of the few precious people I have." His eyes are a steely, chilly blue, and he stares directly into her white eyes. "I will never let anyone take you away."

t.b.c.

Hrm. I was very uncertain about that last little scene there. I was all, "Is it too dramatic?! Is it too weird?! Should I take it out?! Should I leave it in?! Gaaaaah...!!" XD Well, obviously, in the end, it stayed. I think it serves sort of as a bridge to a darker arc in the story. Yeah. I'm planning for the next chapters to be kinda darker. That's the key word, though, **planning**. XD Anyhow, thank you very much for the reviews. I'm so sorry I couldn't answer any right now, but school is an evil, evil thing.


	7. Chapter 7

****

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

****

Dedication: It's all for **The Prime Minister**, in honor of September 18th. It's a week late, but better late than never, right?

Chapter 7

Her legs are crossed, her eyes are clenched shut, and she breathes in and out in a relaxing rhythm. Next to her, he is also in the same position, but he lacks the calm air around her. No, while she is perfectly content with what she is doing, he is sticky and uncomfortable. Sitting down in one place never did suit him. He yearns to run out into the woods, and to train his heart out.

Hinata-chan had called it "meditation," and while Kakashi-sensei and the Ero-Sennin had given him a little bit of background in that area, it is most definitely not his favorite thing to be doing. Why does Hinata-chan enjoy this so much? It was so... so boring!

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto pivots his head around to look at her. She has one eye open, and she seems almost amused.

"Are you bored?" she asks.

Naruto shakes his head. "Ummm...no!" he replies, a little too quickly. Hinata's already done so much for him, plus she seems to be enjoying this. Who was he to ruin it?

Hinata smiles. "You don't have to lie."

"I'm not!" Naruto insists, annoyed at being confronted. Even if what she said was the truth.

Hinata rolls her eyes slightly. She stretches her arms up into the air and says, nonchalantly, "You know, I'm getting kind of tired. Do you want to stop?"

There is an undeniable spark in Naruto's eyes, but he answers, in a childishly resolute voice, "Only if you want to."

Hinata bursts out laughing.

---

"Where have you been?" Jiraiya asks his student, eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest. Despite his usually relaxed and calm attitude, the Jounin exams **were** coming up, and Naruto had plenty of training left to do.

"Out..." Naruto replies evasively, scratching at the back of his head. "Er, sorry. But I'm here now."

Jiraya stared disbelievingly at the blond boy. It's not like he's a huge stickler on timeliness, and Naruto was only fifteen minutes late, but there was this nagging feeling, something telling him that his student was hiding something from him. And Jiraiya did not like to be lied to.

"Don't lie to me," the giant white-haired man warned.

"I'm not lying!" Naruto insists, defiantly. His blue eyes meet his teacher's disbelieving gaze.

Jiraiya stared him down. This is very unlike Naruto. After all, the blond shinobi never lies, unless it's a matter of life or death, or...

"Ahhh." A wide, knowing smirk spreads across the toad sennin's face. "I know."

"What?" Naruto asks, much too quickly. He grimaces upon the leer that Jiraiya shoots at him.

"You were with your girlfriend, weren't ya?"

A bright red blush slithers over the fox boy's cheeks, "Hinata-chan's not my girlfriend!"

Oh.

Crap.

"So you were with your dearest **Hinata-chan**, were you?" Naruto wanted to gag at the expression on the Ero-sennin's face. That, and maybe give him a good punch or two.

Naruto grumbles sullenly in reply. Why had he cracked like that?

"Ah, don't kick yourself, kid." Jiraiya ruffles Naruto's already tousled blond hair. "You're a horrible liar, anyhow."

"Am not." Naruto glares.

"If you're not, then who were you with?"

"....I was eating ramen."

"Oh?" Jiraiya quirks an eyebrow.

"That's right."

"What kind?"

"Pork," Naruto replies immediately, remembering what Hinata had said about her pork ramen.

"What kind did Hinata have?"

"Pork --" Naruto glowers, a dangerous aura emitting from him.

Jiraiya smirks silently.

"You're a lousy bastard," Naruto mutters under his breath.

"Yeah," Jiraiya shrugs indifferently, "but I'm your teacher, too. And the Jounin exams are coming up in a month. And you've got some work to do."

"Then let's just do the work already!"

"All right, all right..." Jiraiya waves carelessly at his blond student.

There is silence as Naruto does some stretches. And then, because Jiraiya just couldn't resist,

"So how far have you gotten with Hinata?"

Jiraiya would soon discover the true power of the Kyuubi.

---

"The Chuunin exam is coming up," Kurenai tells the softspoken Hyuuga. Hinata's shoulders stiffen at the mention of the exam. Bitter, painful memories flow back to her.

"I know," she replies. The Jounin exam follows a week immediately after the Chuunin exam, and for awhile, it has been all Naruto can talk about. She has become a master at hiding her pain, her sorrow, and so Naruto never notices the dark look that would spread across her face whenever the examination was mentioned.

"Are you going to take it?" The long-haired woman asks. Although she is too serious to ever admit it, Hinata is almost like a daughter, or perhaps a younger sister to her. That is, after all, why she personally requested to have Hinata as her student.

Hinata nods, assertively, without a single doubt in her mind. "Yes. Of course I will."

Kurenai furrows her brow. Why the sudden change? The last time Hinata took the Chuunin exam, she had been so uncertain and anxious and worried. Kurenai had almost considered pulling the girl out of the exam. But this year, she was confident, and sure of herself.

Although uncharacteristic of her, she let a soft laugh escape her lips.

Hinata turns to face her teacher. "What?"

"You've changed," Kurenai tells her straightforwardly, no jokes, no laughing. "You've changed so much, in front of my very eyes. When I first started to teach you, you were just a shy, timid twelve-year-old. Before I knew it, you had grown up so much, into a beautiful young woman with a strong will."

Hinata shakes her head. "I'm not all that, Kurenai-sensei."

Kurenai's lips curve slowly into a smile, "Oh, but you are."

Hinata's eyes widen.

"You don't see it, do you?" Kurenai pulls her hair over one shoulder, "you never realized how much you'd grown in the past years. But you have. You've grown so much stronger, physically and emotionally."

"But... I'm not even Chuunin yet..."

"That doesn't matter," Kurenai tells her firmly, shaking her head.

Hinata smiles, softly, thankful for the reassurance.

"And part of it's because of him, right?"

"......" Even though it is Kurenai-sensei she is talking to, the woman who has been her teacher for the past five years, the woman who has unconsciously taken the place of her mother, Hinata can't help but blush.

Kurenai smiles knowingly.

"...I...guess..." Hinata murmurs so softly Kurenai barely heard her reply. Her smile widens, slightly.

"I'm happy for you, then."

"We're... we're only friends..." Hinata draws her knees up to her chest, lowering her eyes.

"That's how it all starts, isn't it?"

Hinata sinks lower, "But...."

Kurenai senses her discomfort, and waves it off. "Forget it. Forget I ever said anything."

Hinata bites her lip. "A -- Ah. Okay."

---

The sun was setting, sending orange and purple flecks across the normally blue sky. Hinata placed her elbows on the bridge, resting her chin in her open palms. He's late, again, but that's okay. He will apologize profusely and rant about whatever ridiculous training Ero-Sennin put him up to; she will listen patiently, and forgive him. She always does.

Kurenai-sensei's words had made an impact on her. Had she really changed so much? She seemed to have, at least in her teacher's eyes. But she didn't see any difference in herself. Except for physical differences.

But, with Naruto-kun...

She always struggled to change herself. She was always wanting to do her best, to make him proud of her.

To...

Make him...

Proud...

She realizes this last part with slight discomfort. Proud of her? Well, Naruto is one of her best friends. Of course she wants him to be proud of her, to be proud of having a friend like her.

How could he be proud of someone like her? she asks herself, doubtfully. At the age of seventeen, she is still a Genin, while everyone else in her graduating class has already gone on to Chuunin, or even Jounin. She is nothing to be proud of.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" His feet thud loudly across the creaky bridge. Beads of sweat drip down his face. Perhaps it is because he ran to meet her? Hinata shakes her head. Well, maybe so, but most likely it is because of the rigorous training he went through. "Sorry I'm late! Damn Ero-sennin..."

She smiles, the soft smile she wears only for him, "It's all right." Because it really was.

"....so the stupid old pervert makes me climb all these trees and lug all these logs **uphill** claiming that it's training for the Jounin exams, but I'm not that stupid; I knew he wanted to build some kinda fire up there and he was using me to do his lousy work...."

Hinata laughs softly.

"...but, I guess, it still made for good training," Naruto admits, scratching at the back of his head. "The more training I can get in before the exams, the better, right?"

"Un." Hinata nods her agreement, not feeling talkative today.

"Say, how's your training going?"

"Good," Hinata answers, staring down at her feet. "I just... I guess I just feel out of it today."

"Eh?" Naruto turns to face her, the girl he'd once sworn to protect, "Are you sick, Hinata-chan?"

"No!" She replies quickly, angry at herself for having worried him. She never should have said anything. "Just forget about it, Naruto-kun. Maybe I'm just having a bad day."

Naruto stuck his lower lip out, a habit he'd done since he was but a young child. Undoubtedly he was frustrated that he was unable to help his best friend. "If you have a bad day, you should talk about it," he offered. "I mean.... I'm really bad at giving advice and stuff like that, but I bet I can cheer you up!"

She turns her head to look at him... The glow of the setting sun lighting up his face, making his blond hair look red and orange in certain places. His eyes, blue, are as bright as ever.

And she can't help but think to herself....

How lucky she is.

"Hey, Naruto-kun.."

He blinks. "Yeah?"

"...thanks."

She began to walk off, taking small, slow steps. Naruto remains rooted to the spot, bewildered by the scene that had just taken place.

He shifts his head to look at the sun descending down upon the horizon. He turns back to her. She has stopped, a few feet away from him, hands on the rail, entranced at the sight before her.

She stares, unblinkingly, at the rose-colored sky and the fiery sun.

Meanwhile, he stares, enthralled, as if seeing something clearly for the first time, at her.

t.b.c.

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 8

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!!"

She remembers the loud burst of applause that single sentence had received. Naruto-kun had received a standing ovation from the entire audience. Yet, despite the fact that everyone, and she did mean **everyone** had been standing on their tiptoes, clapping wildly, whistling, and going all out on congratulating the blond ninja, the only one that he'd acknowledged was a quiet, dark-haired girl, standing, her signature quiet grin spread out on her face, clapping loudly, white eyes sparkling. 

In front of everyone, he'd leaped up to her side, and wrapped his arms around her in a tender hug.

"I did it," he'd whispered, voice filled with anguish and pride, "I finally did it, Hinata-chan. I won. I'm going to be a Jounin."

There was no doubt in her mind -- even if it hadn't been formally announced yet, even if the judges hadn't made their decision. Naruto was definitely going to be promoted to Jounin.

"I know," she'd whispered back, and had returned the hug after a burst of courage. "And you were great."

---

She is tired, so tired. Sweat trickles down her face, and she clutches a kunai in her hands, trembling all the while. She is also vaguely aware of everyone's gaze on her, gazes clearly shouting, Is she strong enough? Will she finally be able to win and become promoted to Chuunin?

Before, she had only wanted to please them, to win for them, to show them that she is not as weak as everybody makes her out to be. 

Today, however, it is different.

Today, the only person she wants to win for... is him.

Even so, how long can she last? She has been putting all her strengths, all her efforts, into winning this fierce battle against this foreign shinobi. And he had just escaped into the shadows. She has barely any chakra left, but she knows that she must try.

"Byaakugan!"

She freezes in her tracks, listening intently.

"There," she murmurs, and in the blink of an eye, pivots around on her right foot, and releases eight kunai. Behind her she hears a collective gasp from the audience, and in a rare moment of tranquility she closed her eyes and prayed.

"Awgh!" The shinobi reappears, clutching his left shoulder, from which a kunai had struck him. Spitting, he wrenches it out and throws it furiously on the ground. Hinata breathes in and out -- she has injured him now. As she crouches down into an attack position, he backs away, still applying pressure to his injured shoulder with his right hand.

She realized -- she didn't even need to use Gentle Fist. While he had been a formidable opponent in the beginning, now that she had gravely injured him with the kunai -- had she really hit him so strongly? -- a simple kick to the stomach or the chest would knock the wind out of him, and time would take care of the rest.

She gets ready.

It's now, or never.

Naruto-kun is watching me, she thinks to herself, I can finally win this battle and make him proud.

The other shinobi glares, fighting spirit still ablaze. She bows her head slightly, and then raises her right leg and makes contact with skin in a motion as quick as lightning.

"Guh --" Her opponent flails in midair, and she sucks in her breath.

It seems to happen in slow-motion.

His eyes roll up into his head as he falls towards the ground.

As he sinks lower, his left arm, the one whose shoulder had been hit, rises up, revealing a shuriken. With a quick, decisive flick, the shuriken whizzes straight towards the petite girl.

She flinches -- and it is all due to Lady Luck that the only souvenir she receives is a small cut on her left cheek. Small droplets of blood trickle down, and she claps a hand to the mark.

The referee steps closer to her and claps a gentle hand onto her shoulder. It is only then Hinata realizes exactly what has happened.

"I.. I..."

"Winner," said the announcer, smiling broadly, "Hyuuga Hinata!"

There is a moment of bare silence, and then the sound of one person clapping fills it in. She doesn't even have to look to know who it is.

But she turns her head anyway, just in time to see the huge, ear-to-ear grin that is currently on Uzumaki Naruto's face.

"Hinata-chan!" He shouts, enthusiastic. "You did it!"

Applause breaks out from the entire crowd this time -- and for once in her life, Hinata has received the one thing she has wanted most from anybody.

Acknowledgement.

Even though, her eyes remain locked on Naruto the entire time.

---

"What? But why her?"

Hinata looks down, not saying a word.

"She's weak. Dude, the only reason she passed the Chuunin exam was because she'd been training for...what, **three, four** years? She's only going to bring us down. Don't be stupid, Naruto."

The blond Jounin glares icily at his companion, a newly inducted Jounin named Izumi. "Don't push it, Izumi." He has been Jounin for close to a year now, and already the word of his unfathomable strength and determination has set him apart from the rest.

"But --" The steel in Naruto's eyes shuts him up. "Ugh. Fine."

Naruto looks around accusingly at the rest of his team. "Anybody else have any complaints?"

There is silence.

"Good." He strides over to Hinata, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Be ready to leave in a week, 'kay?"

"Un." She nods, feeling the prejudicial gazes from her teammates.

---

She lies, buried underneath the warm covers of her bed. And she feels horrible. Why did Naruto have to believe so strongly in her? She saw, very clearly, the looks in her teammates' eyes. They thought she was weak. They judged her to be weak, nothing more than a burden. But Naruto was too loyal -- he had always been that way. He refused to give up on her. And now he had chosen her to be part of his team on their latest mission.

Even after the other Jounins and Chuunins grumbled about her weakness, he still stood up for her.

Why?

She felt so insecure. Like a tiny little speck of dust. She hadn't felt this way in a long, long time. No, after Naruto had entered her life, she finally felt a sense of security, like she had a found a place where she belonged. What was happening to her now?

_Beep. Beep._

A soft beeping noise alerted her -- it was her cell phone, one of the few gifts she had ever received. Hurriedly she grabbed it from her nightstand, flipped it open, and pressed it close to her ear. She only knew of one person who could possibly call her at such an ungodly hour -- it was around two in the morning. 

"Naruto-kun?" she whispers.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," he greets her from the other line, sounding completely sober and awake. "I couldn't sleep."

She smiles despite her gloomy mood. He is always excited the night before a mission, unable to sleep. "Mm. Me, too." She is still careful to keep your voice down, and he notices.

"Why are you so quiet?" he wonders.

"Ah.." She sounds sheepish, "It's late. And I don't want Father to know I'm still on the phone." Even at the age of seventeen, her father was still the same.

"Oh. Will you get in trouble?" Now he sounds ashamed. "I don't want you to get in trouble, Hinata-chan." He has never spoken to her father face-to-face, but he knows the strict rules he imposes in his house.

"Let's...just talk for a little more," Hinata replies, quietly.

They did, until the morning.

---

The day came for them to leave on their mission. Hinata couldn't help but feel just a little nervous -- what if she let Naruto-kun down? She isn't having any trouble keeping up, but something told her that trouble was brewing. She sighs, but keeps alert for any sign of danger.

"You all right, Hinata-chan?" he asks, eyes crinkling into a smile.

"Yes," she replies, eyes downcast. She forces a smile onto her face nonetheless.

Something flashes across his face -- but perhaps it was just imagination. "Good," he answers, and goes on ahead.

_Am I nothing but a nuisance to you?_ She feels ashamed for even thinking such a thing, after all that he has done for her, but she can't help herself.

An arm roughly encircles her by the neck -- she cries out, and then remembers vaguely that she is a shinobi, a **Chuunin**. Bringing her elbow to her attacker's face, then kicking him forcefully in the chest ensures her escape. But she is grabbed, again, by someone else, larger. She struggles, but to no avail. He tightens his hold on her, applying extra pressure to twisting her arm.

"Naruto-kun.." she whispers, but it's too late; he's too far gone.

"She's pretty weak," the larger one murmurs. "D'you think she'll do any good?"

"Even if she is weak, she's still a woman. That ought to guarantee **some** fun," the other replies.

Hinata, in utter desperation, stomps violently on the larger man's foot. He simply grins at her, completely unaffected. "Let's do that, then," he says, and reaches for the bottom of her shirt.

Only to get kneed in the head by a blur of black and orange. As he does so, he twists Hinata's arm further, and she cries out, clutching her elbow.

"What the hell?" The second man whirls around, but by that time, he has already fallen unconscious to the floor.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata murmurs, relieved. He came, he came to save her. She is safe. Thanks to him. He saved her. He...He..

"Are you all right?"

She isn't able to look him straight in the eye. "Un," she nods.

"Good." His eyes soften, and he takes her by the arm.

"Ah!" She bites her lip, and cradles her arm.

"Wh --" His eyes widen as he realizes, "is your arm hurt?"

She can't bring herself to answer.

But he only smiles, and picks her up. Upon her quesitoning gaze, he answers, "Even if it's only your arm, it still hurts if you go too fast, especially with all these trees blocking your way. So let's do this. It'll be faster, and easier."

She only nods, face bright red.

:: t.b.c.::

I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. I HAVE, LITERALLY, FIVE MINUTES LEFT ON THE COMPUTER. SO I'LL JUST APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY, AND GET THIS CHAPTER POSTED. ;;;; BTW, this story is almost done. Maybe two, three more chapters..


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

Yeah. Sorry for the late update. I've just honestly lost interest in this. Trying desperately to wrap it up... If it's not done by this chapter, it will be done by the next chapter.

_Chapter 9_

The words strike her in the face, and she feels like she has just been dealt a blow straight to a heart. And perhaps it's because she has.

"I'm going to be a part of the ANBU," he announces, beaming. "Isn't it great?"

She swallows, hard. "Yes...yes..."

He continues to chatter on, stuffing his mouth with the remants of his ramen. But she isn't listening. He is joining the ANBU, the assassination team, where he will constantly be putting his life on the line. He will rarely be at home, and she will more than likely never see him more than two times a year.

But she chooses to say none of this, and instead settles for placing her mask back on her face, keeping her head lowered as she eats of her pork ramen.

/-/

"Father has summoned you."

Hinata jerks up from her desk, where she had been reading - well, she hadn't actually been reading - a book. "Wh - What?" she stutters. Her father has never summoned her. In fact, he prefers to ignore her, to pretend that she doesn't exist at all.

"He has summoned you." Hanabi speaks in a monotone, staring at her older sister with no trace of emotion whatsoever.

Hinata gulps again. "Thank you." She closes her eyes briefly and gathers up the courage inside her to go and see her father. She exhales and strides past her younger sister to her father's room. The door is ajar, and she can see his form, sitting at his own desk, a pen in hand, writing something down on a sheet of paper.

"Father..?" Her voice trembles slightly, and she hates herself for it.

"Hinata." He raises his head. "Come in."

She nods, and takes small steps towards him.

"I have news for you," he says, calmly, authoratively. "You are twenty now, are you not?"

"Yes, Father." She is twenty, and only a Chuunin. But she is learning of medicine now, and not of combat. Perhaps, she once thought, she could become a medic nin. She remembers that Sakura is training for the same thing. She had seen her at Tsunade-sama's office on more than one occasion.

"A fine age to get married."

Hinata falters, and her white eyes widen in fright. "Ma- Married?"

He spares her a short glance. "Yes. Married."

She opens her mouth, but the words don't come out.

"It will be good for the family," he continues. "You should be honored that the Kuchize clan of the Sand has come to us for a marriage."

"What of... What of Hanabi?" she asks, hoarsely. "Surely, she is stronger than I -"

"Of course Hanabi is stronger," her father snaps. "But she is much too young. And this young man -" He pauses to check his notes, "whose name is Ryoki, is four years older than you. The age difference is fine."

"Is there -" Hinata swallows. "Is there no other alternative, Father?"

She notices that her father's posture stiffens. "There is none," he responds in a clipped tone. "You will be married to him. It will be good for the family. Even if you lack skills on the battlefield, surely you can still be a good wife. You can cook, can't you?"

She bows her head. "Yes."

"Then there's no trouble, no problem. You will meet him two nights from now. Make yourself look presentable. If need be, buy a new kimono."

"Yes, Father." Hinata senses that their conversation was over and numbly exits his room. It is only after she has made it back to her room and locked the door that she allows herself to cry.

/-/

She is dreaming. Of younger days, when the sky is blue and when her mother is still alive. She remembers a woman, beautiful, kind and gentle, who has long, wavy hair, the same color as hers and Hanabi's. Her eyes aren't white, like the rest of the Hyuuga's, but a deep, purplish color. She always smiles, always, and takes Hinata's hand in hers.

"I love you so much," she is constantly saying, "you're my daughter, and I love you."

Back in those days, her father had been a lot kinder. He often smiled, and acknowledged Hinata's presence fully.

"And I love you, too, Okaachan!" Hinata replies, throwing her chubby arms around her mother's neck. Behind them, her father would stand, observing the scene from afar, a soft expression on his features. "Otouchan, you come too!"

Her father laughs, and steps closer to the two girls. "I'm the luckiest man in the world," he murmurs, "I have two darling girls who love me."

Her world had been perfect. She had a wonderful mother, a wonderful father.

"Hinata-chan," her mother says, gesturing for her daughter to come sit on her lap, "Otouchan and I have something very important to tell you!"

"What is it?" Hinata climbs up on her mother's lap, excited.

Her mother places Hinata's hands on her stomach. "I'm going to have a baby!"

"A...baby?"

"Yes! She'll be really, really cute, and you'll help me take care of her, won't you, Hinata-chan?"

A smile spreads across the young girl's face. "Help Okaachan!"

Then she remembers peering outside her mother's room, flinching everytime she hears her mother's labored screams and gasps. She wants to go inside, but the strange people won't let her.

"Okaachan will be all better in just a little while, sweetie," a kind-hearted nurse says, "so just wait outside, okay?"

Hinata gulps, but nods.

The memory is faint, but etched into her skull: Her, barely five years old, sitting outside her mother's bedroom door, knees drawn up to her chest. She is scared, she is lonely. Inside, she can hear the doctors and nurses yelling angrily at each other, and her mother's shrieks echo in the air.

Her mother utters one final scream that lingers in the air. After that, everything is quiet, except for the crying of a newborn baby. Hinata jerks up and pushes the door open, creeping in quietly.

"It's a healthy girl," a nurse is informing her father.

Her father takes the newborn baby girl with surprising tenderness. He pulls her close, and he is shaking, but Hinata is unsure as to why. She pads quietly across the room. "Otouchan?" she calls, voice light and clear.

He looks down upon her. "Hinata-chan," he murmurs, "Hinata-chan, this is your baby sister. Her name is - her name is - Hanabi."

She remembers vividly gazing into her father's face, heart careening against her chest at the sight. His eyes are bloodshot, and he is crying. She reaches out to touch her father's cheek. "Why are you crying?"

There is no answer.

"Hinata-chan," an elderly woman, the housekeeper, with whom Hinata has always gotten along well with, "your mommy has gone on to a better place."

"A better...place?" she questions, not comprehending.

"But she'll always watch over you," the woman continues, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

And inside, Hinata is frustrated. She does not understand what is going on. What's going on? Why is everybody crying?

"I want to see Okaachan," she says, stoutly.

"Hina -"

"I want to see her!" She is dangerously close to tears. "I want to see her, now!"

"But -"

"It's okay," her father says, voice hollow. "Let her go."

Hinata finally pushes through, and peers over the mattress to her mother. Her eyes are closed. Her skin is pale.

She isn't breathing.

"Okaachan!" She calls, shaking her. "Okaachan, wake up!"

But her mother doesn't move.

"Okaachan!" Her voice is louder, and more desperate, and the tears begin to fall now. At the age of five, she isn't exactly sure what the word _death_ means, only that it brings pain and sorrow.

"She's gone," her father says, and his voice is so strange, so frightening. "She's gone. And she won't come back."

/-/

_"Hey, Hinata-chan..."_

_Hinata looked up from where she had been digging a hole in the sand. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"_

_"What does it mean to get married?"_

_"Married?" Hinata wrinkled her nose. "Well, mommies and daddies get married. And then they have kids."_

_"But what does it mean?"_

_"It means that...that...they always have to live with each other. And play with each other. And do stuff together."_

_"That sounds kinda fun!" Naruto jumped up and down excitedly. "So, like, mommies and daddies have to be good friends, huh?"_

_Hinata paused to think about it. "I guess," she finally replied. "Since they have to live together all the time."_

_"Well!" Naruto grins. "We're good friends, aren't we?"_

_"Yes," Hinata replied, unwaveringly._

_"So, why don't we get married?" His teeth gleam in the sunlight, and his blue eyes sparkle._

_Hinata smiled. "But we're too young."_

_A scowl flittered across his usually perky face. "Okay. Then how about when we grow up?"_

_Hinata thought about it, and decided that she would like to be married to Naruto-kun. He was nice, and kind. "Okay."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

/-/

With a start, she realizes that she has fallen asleep. A soft ringing sound instantly sends her into full consciousness, and she gropes around in the darkness for her cell phone.

"Hello?" she murmurs.

"Hinata-chan? It's Naruto-kun."

There is a small tug in her heart. "Hi.."

"I've been assigned a mission," he chatters on, "to the Rain. This one won't take very long. Just a week. They said that since it's my first ANBU mission, they'd start off easy..."

She notices that his description is vague. Of course it would be, since assassination missions are guarded with the utmost secrecy.

She considers telling him of her marriage, and wonders how he will take it. A small part of her hopes that he will be jealous, and angry. But he wouldn't. He would be happy for her. Maybe a little surprised at the suddenness, but...

"I leave tomorrow morning." Hinata is suddenly jerked back to the conversation at these words. "Early. Eight A.M., sharp, they said. Will you see me off?"

It is an unspoken ritual of theirs, that whenever Naruto leaves on a mission, Hinata, no matter how early he leaves, is always there to wave goodbye and wish him luck.

"Of course," she answers.

/-/

_"My name is Uzumaki Naruto."_

In her mind's eye, she sees a smaller, younger Naruto. He is not wearing that orange jacket. His hair is shorter, and he is still innocent. But it is still undoubtedly him. She can tell through his eyes, his clear, sparkling eyes. She wonders where he is. What she is doing here.

_"Don't call me Uzumaki-san! Call me Naruto. Or Naruto-kun."_

And then the blurry picture becomes just a little bit clearer. There is a sandbox, she sees, and there is the hot, yellow sun, beating down on them. And then there is him, only him, and there is her, but it's a different her, a younger her.

They are playing together.

_"When I grow up, I'm going to be Hokage!"_

His wide, toothy grin.

Then she sees her father, a colder man after his wife's death. He sees him yanking her away from Naruto, forbidding her from ever seeing him, ever again.

_"No! You can't take Hinata-chan away!"_

She remembers the horror in his eyes, and the tears rolling down her cheeks. She recalls pressing a seashell into his palm, telling him to take care of it. It had belonged to her mother. And then she sees him handing her a small rock, glimmering in the sun's rays.

_"And one day... we can see each other again, right?"_

Hinata lets out a loud gasp as she bolts upwards in bed, sweating. The room is cold and dark. Crawling towards her beside table, she flips on the switch, and light illuminates her room. Heart pounding, she steps out of her bed and opens the bottom drawer of her dresser. Pushing past the clothes, she reaches down to the bottom.

Her hands clasp around a sharp, jagged object.

She pulls it out.

And exhales.

It is the rock, and she holds it up against the lamp. The lightbulb causes it to sparkle, and she is suddenly, painfully aware of this feeling in her chest.

That boy from her childhood... It was no dream. It was him. It was Naruto-kun. It was him, it was him, it was him..

The boy who had captured her heart, and had never truly let it go.

It was five-thirty, but she didn't care. He was leaving. She was getting married.

She hastily threw on a coat, turned off the lamp, and hurried out of the house. She shivered as the chilly night air hit her skin, but with her mission in mind, she did not falter. In what seems like a matter of seconds, she pauses outside his apartment door. Taking a deep breath, she rings the doorbell. Once, then twice.

Heavy footsteps can be heard from the inside. She listens as he stumbles over something and curses. He throws the door open, an annoyed expression on his face, which immediately disappears as he sees her.

"Hinata-chan?"

And then the words tumble out. She is oblivious to the fact that she is standing outside in the freezing cold, that it isn't even six in the morning yet, only that she needs to tell him. Now.

"I don't know if you remember, but when we were little, when we were five years old, we met each other," she says, breathlessly, "in the sandbox, at the park, and we were friends, and we talked to each other almost everyday, about the smallest little things. And we liked each other, so much, that we even promised to get married to each other one day, but -well, that didn't work out, and then my father found out, and he was so angry, and he forbade me to ever see you again, but.. But we gave each other something to remember each other by, and I gave you a seashell...and, and...and you gave me...this." She is out of breath, and she takes the opportunity to breathe while retrieving the rock from inside her pocket. She hands it to him, and he stares at it with a dumbfounded expression.

He glances up at her, unsure. "Hinata-chan..."

"Please!" She begs. "Please! Just...try to remember.."

He closes his eyes briefly and turns back inside. Bewildered, Hinata can only watch as he goes inside his room. She blushes all of a sudden, realizing exactly what has just occurred. She had just...

He reappears. She bows her head and prepares to apologize.

"Naruto-kun... never mind. I'm.. I'm sorry. It was foolish of me. I'm sorry to have woken you up; I know you have a mission." She curses herself for being unable to stop talking. She has been blabbering now, for a good amount of time.

He shakes his head, and there is something in his eyes that makes her insides flutter.

"Naruto-kun?"

Wordlessly, he extends his palm. Hinata looks down and sees that it is the seashell she had given him, all those years ago.

/ to be continued /

A/N- :ducks from flying tomatoes: OK. Yes. I'm fully aware that I haven't updated since January. But..I updated now...:backs away: OK, if you checked out my profile, I explained that I just competely lost interest in this series, for my own personal reasons. And as a result, I stopped writing. Eventually, though, my guilt got to me, and I was all, "I can't leave the readers hanging. I have to end the story, even if it's with a completely crappy ending!" And this is what I'm doing. I'm hoping that the ending WON'T be crappy, of course.

Anyway, the next chapter will be the last. I will get it out, SOON. As in, before the end of this summer. At the most. I'm aiming to have it done by the end of this week.

I'm really sorry for the long wait, again. But I WILL finish this story, I promise you.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto.

_Chapter 10_

Hinata does not know how long she stands there, dumbfounded. She does not know what to say. What can she say, for that matter? And Naruto stands in front of her, seashell in hand, equally silent.

"You're her." He breaks the silence first, shock evident in his crystal blue eyes. "You're that girl."

Her tongue is dry. "Yes.."

She does not have time to react as he engulfs her in a bone-breaking hug. She stiffens with shock, but quickly melts into his embrace. Something tells her that things will be different from before. There is something startlingly different about the way he pulls her close to him. She has hugged him before. But this is not the same, and it never will be, ever again...

"You're real," he murmurs, again. "You're real."

He pushes her away so that they can look at each other. And she gulps, heart leaping to her throat, at the amount of emotion she can see in his eyes. Emotion that is different from before.

She hadn't realized how much would change by bringing up the past.

"You... I mean..." Hinata bites her lip. Oh, god, not those feelings. She thought that she had succeeded in burying them deep in her heart, but standing this close to him, knowing that they had been close before..

And before she knows it, she is crying.

He ushers her inside and slams the door shut. He brings her to the couch and offers her a box of tissues. "What's wrong?"

Her emotions come rushing out with the tears. "Everything!" she bursts out savagely, "nothing's right anymore!"

He furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Naruto-kun... it would have been better... if... if I'd never come..."

"What?"

"If we'd never found out about the past. If we'd never..met.." The last word is uttered in a whisper.

She reluctantly looks into his eyes. "What are you talking about?" She can hear the steel, the ice that has crept into his voice.

"It's not like we can be together," she says, hurriedly.

"We will be together," he states, and she is surprised by the amount of determination in his voice. "We will."

"Naruto-kun!" She herself is surprised by the emotion that pours out into her voice. "I'm getting married!"

Shock registers on his face. "...what?"

"My father... has arranged a marriage for me..." She cannot look up at him.

"To who?" He is calm. Much too calm.

"The...Kuchize Clan. Of the Sand."

"I'll talk with Gaara," he says, decisively.

"But this is my father," Hinata pleads. "He - you don't know what he -"

"Do you want to marry him?" For the first time, there is uncertainty in his voice. Hinata is taken aback by it. It is unlike him to ever be uncertain.

"No, of course not. But I - I don't want you to get hurt, either..."

"I won't get hurt." He smiles. "When are you meeting with him?"

"To - Tomorrow night."

He sighs, frustration appearing on his features. "That's a problem. But it's okay, Hinata-chan, we'll figure it out."

"Figure it out?" She doesn't understand.

"He's not going to marry you," Naruto repeats, simply, "because I won't let him."

And all Hinata can do is trust in him, in his voice, as she leans against him and falls asleep.

/-/

The loud beeping of an alarm clock shatters her illusions of slumber, and she sits up, rubbing her eyes. There is a larger figure beside her, still snoring. For a moment, she panics, but once she sees who it is, calms down instantly.

"Naruto-kun." She shakes him. "Naruto-kun."

The snoring dies. "Mmmmph."

"Naruto-kun." She resists the urge to laugh at him. "Your alarm clock just went off."

"Leave it," he murmurs, "I never pay attention to it."

"You have a mission," she reminds him, gently.

To which he sighs, loudly, and finally opens his eyes.

"Morning."

She smiles, widely, something she only does when she is with him.

Then she moves to get up. "I'll make breakfast," she tells him, "before you leave."

However, he reaches out for her, and clasps her wrist. She turns back to face him, curious.

"You'll...wait for me, won't you?" He asks, not quite looking her in the eye.

She is all too suddenly aware of something warm flooding her chest. She looks at him, at this man, who has saved her more times than he will ever know.

"Of course," she says. "Of course."

/-/

When she finally makes it back home, all she wants to do is lock herself up in her room. She should have known better. There was a large station of guards around her house, and a feeling of impending doom settled in her stomach.

Hanabi stands outside, and impatiently gestures for her sister to come forward.

"Hanabi.." Hinata looks confusedly at her surroundings. "What's happening?"

"I covered for you," her sister mutters, looking as though she herself isn't sure of the reason. "You were at Naruto's again, weren't you?"

Hinata flushes at the way she speaks.

Hanabi scowls. "I don't care," she continues, "but the fairy tale is over. The Kuchize clan is here."

Hinata's mouth falls open, "But... they're not supposed to be here until tomorrow..."

"Change of plans," Hanabi replies, simply. "Just change into a proper kimono. I picked one out for you."

Hinata suddenly feels a sense of urgency. "Hanabi, I can't - I can't marry him. I don't love him."

Hanabi, for the first time in her life, dons an expression of frustration and regret. "I know that! But what do you expect me to do about it? I've been covering for you, you know, telling Otousama that you've just been doing extra training with Kurenai-sensei during your disappearances. I don't know what else I can do!"

A look of surprise crosses Hinata's face. "Hanabi...?" she begins.

"You're my sister," her younger sister says. "And this is the sort of thing sisters do. Right?" She looks up, uncertain.

"Thank you," Hinata finally says, smiling. "I... Just...thank you, for everything you've done. I'll take care of the rest."

"...how?"

"Trust me," is all Hinata will offer. She bows politely, turns, and leaves. She misses the soft whisper of her younger sister's voice as she utters, "Good luck...Oneesan."

/-/

The new lavender kimono feels stiff against her skin. She ties the obi around her waist and stares at her reflection.

_What am I going to do?_

"Hinata-sama," a maid calls softly, through the door. "Your father is waiting."

"I'm coming," Hinata answers, just as quietly.

The maid tells her that she looks beautiful. Her hair has been styled, and the kimono complements her complexion and figure. Hinata utters a small smile of gratitude and takes a deep breath as she prepares herself to enter the room.

The room is full. At the head of the table sits her father and the head of the Kuchize clan. Hanabi looks up at her with an expression of indifference, and she nods towards a handsome man who sits across the table.

"Hinata," her father calls, smoothly. "This is Kuchize Tadashi." He gestures to the older man sitting next to him. "And that is Kuchize Ryoki."

Hinata numbly takes her seat. She has been going through dozens of entirely different scenarios in her mind, varying from calmly taking her leave and announcing that she will not be taking part in this marriage; to downright bursting into tears and throwing a tantrum. A small smile crosses her face at that thought.

"Hinata-san," Ryoki says, nodding politely.

"Ryoki-san," she acknowledges, taking her seat next to him.

Dinner is served promptly after that. Delegates from the Kuchize clan speak with the elders of the Hyuuga clan. From the corner of her eye, she sees Neji sitting there too, no expression on his face whatsoever. A spark of hope lights up in her. But what is she to do? She can't exactly waltz over to him and start talking!

"Are you all right, Hinata-san?" Ryoki's smooth voice jerks her from her thoughts. She turns to face him, and idly notes that he has blue eyes, too, like Naruto's, but Naruto's are brighter and clearer.

"I'm -" She pauses. "-not, actually."

"Why not?" A hint of concern finds its way into his eyes.

Hinata closes her eyes briefly and prays for courage. "No offense is meant by this, but... Ryoki-san, I don't... I don't want to marry you."

A soft laugh erupts from his mouth, and his eyes crinkle into a friendly expression. "And what makes you think that I want to marry you? No offense, of course."

Hinata's eyes widen. "But...?"

"Why didn't you speak up for yourself?" he retorts.

"Ah.." Hinata swallows. "My father wouldn't listen."

"Neither did mine."

They ate in silence for a few moments.

"I suppose," Ryoki says at that point, mildly, "that if neither of us is willing to agree, we could very well step in and say something, couldn't we?"

"Only if you do it," Hinata murmurs.

"But it's a shame to interrupt this pleasant dinner," Ryoki continues. "How about later?"

Hinata nods, a smile forming on her face. "Yes. Thank you."

Ryoki delicately chews on a piece of sushi. "So who's the lucky guy?"

"Lu - lucky guy?" Hinata's cheeks color.

"It's written all over your face. Someone's in love." Hinata suddenly felt that if she'd ever had an older brother, this would be how it felt.

"Is it that obvious?" Her voice drops to little more than a whisper.

"I'm good at reading people," he replies, "I usually go on missions as a spy."

"I see..."

She goes on to tell him briefly about Naruto, and can't help but feel that things could very possibly turn out all right after all...

/-/

"Could you at least try to look like you're interested in the mission?" Shikamaru raises his eyebrows at him.

Naruto scowls. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru sighs. "You are so troublesome sometimes," he deadpans.

"What?" Naruto demands, hotly.

Shikamaru exchanges a Look with Sasuke.

"Idiot," Sasuke states, not looking at all at Naruto. "At this rate, you'll be more of a liability than any help."

Naruto still doesn't quite understand. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru sighs. "Okay. How many kunai have we had to save you from so far?"

"...shut up."

"You're not concentrating on the mission at all," Shikamaru continues, ignoring the blond's protests, "and as Sasuke said, you'll be more of a liability than anything else."

Naruto slouches in defeat. "Okay," he relents, "so I don't exactly **want** to be here. It's not like I've got a choice. We've got to follow this through."

"If you keep it up like **that**, you're going to be killed."

"No, I won't!" Naruto bristles.

"Why don't you just tell us what's up?" Shikamaru tells him, shooting him a glance. "We are teammates, aren't we?"

"..." Naruto visibly scowls. "Fine. It's about Hinata."

"..." No response.

"She's getting married."

"To you?"

"No! ...not yet."

Sasuke actually snorts, and is unfazed by the steely glare that Naruto sends his way. "Arranged marriage?" he asks, indifferently.

"...yes." Naruto scowls again.

"So," Shikamaru asks, slowly, "what are you doing **here**?"

"...I'm on the mission." Naruto glances at him as if to check if he's okay.

"So the love of your life is back in Konoha, about to get married, and you're here, on a mission." Shikamaru states, dully.

"...dammit." Naruto scratches at the back of his head. "She promised she'd wait," he says, feebly.

"I'm sure she will." Shikamaru's tone is oddly comforting. "But don't you think that she needs **you** there with her?"

"..." Naruto bites his lip.

"Just go back, idiot." Sasuke actually decides to contribute to the conversation. "God knows, maybe if you marry her, she can change you into a better person."

"Are you...sure?" Naruto shows a rare sign of hesitancy.

"If you don't turn back now, I swear I'll drag you back myself."

Naruto allows a grin to slip onto his face. Yes, Sasuke and Shikamaru could most definitely take care of themselves. He had other places to be...

"Thanks, you two," he says, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

/-/

The meal is finished, and the dishes are put away. Hinata clutches at her kimono, feeling anxiety rise up within her. She is comforted only by Ryoki's presence, a solid rock at her side.

"What if they don't listen?" she murmurs.

"We'll make them," he replies.

"You two seem to have gotten along well enough," Hiashi says, imperiously. Hinata notices, not for the first time, just how tall her father is and how graceful and commanding his mere presence is. "Is it settled, then?" He turns to the older man next to him.

"Actually.." Ryoki stands up. "I'm afraid that I cannot marry Hinata-san."

A contorted expression crosses Hiashi's face. "Is there something at fault with my daughter?" he asks, stiffly.

"I don't want to marry her, and she does not want to marry me."

"Arranged marriages often start out that way," Ryoki's father contributes, "but as the years pass by you will both grow to love each other."

"There is something else." Hinata furrows her brow at those words. He glances at her briefly, his eyes telling her, _go along with me, please_, and she can't help but trust him. "Hinata-san has already been with someone. I have no desire for a woman who has already been with another man."

Gasps are uttered around the room, and Hinata's face is beet red. What is he thinking? She hasn't been with anyone, not like **that**, so what could he -

"Furthermore, she is deeply in love with this other man. Again, I have no desire to marry a woman who has so in love with someone else."

Hiashi's face is expressionless as he turns to his daughter. "Is this true?" he asks, quietly.

Hinata swallows. If she said yes, then surely, she would not have to marry Ryoki..

"Yes," she bows her head.

Deafening silence, and she avoids the eyes of everyone in the room. She is tired and faint, and her heart is beating wildly in her chest. She can't handle this alone. She never could. She needs him, only him..

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A loud, angry voice bellows, and all eyes on the room turn towards the door.

/-/

Hinata's heart pounds louder than ever as she sees him,** him**, standing there, a furious expression on his face. She gulps audibly, and Ryoki turns to her curiously. He doesn't have to say anything, though, because it's evident enough who this person is.

"What's going on?" Naruto asks. His voice is quieter, but none of the anger has left it.

"Not that this is any of your business," Hiashi, says, silkily, "but this is Kuchize Tadashi from the Sand."

Naruto furrows his brow. "Who's he?" he demands, pointing to Ryoki.

"Kuchize Ryoki," Hiashi replies. "He will be marrying Hinata -"

"Not if I can help it," Naruto interrupts, harshly. "Listen," he turned to Ryoki, "hate to disappoint you, but you're not marrying her."

"I assure you I have no desire to do so," Ryoki tells him, calmly, "so you can let go of that kunai in your pocket."

Naruto loses his steam. "...what?"

"I have no desire to break up such a happy couple." Ryoki glances at Hinata, teasingly. "I'm not going to marry her. What you two do is completely up to you."

"Is he the one, then?" Hiashi snorts derisively. "He's the one you've been with?"

"Been..what?" Naruto looks completely bewildered, and Hinata sends him a pleading gaze, silently telling him to just go along with everything that was happening. He seemed to understand the message, and said no more.

Hiashi turns to Ryoki, icily. "So there is no way that you will ever marry my daughter?"

"No, sir."

Hiashi turns to Tadashi, who shakes his head slowly.

Hiashi exhales in defeat. He turns to Hinata and Naruto, with some strange expression on his face. Hinata cannot figure it out what it is, or what it means.

"Leave," he says, quietly.

Hinata clutches her sleeves. "Wh - What?"

"You have disappointed me. You have shamed me. You have lain with this boy outside of marriage. Leave. Pack your things quickly, and leave within the next twenty-four hours."

Hinata lets out a startled gasp, and clutches her hands into fists. "Otousama, I -"

"Okaasama wouldn't have wanted this," Hanabi puts in, clearly.

Hiashi suddenly stiffens, and closes his eyes briefly. Then he turns to exit out the door.

/-/

The succession of events happened in a blur. Hinata can vaguely remember packing up her clothes and belongings and bidding a short goodbye to Hanabi.

"I'll visit you," she says, so firmly that Hinata doesn't dare to question her.

"Invite me to the wedding, will you?" Ryoki smiles at her.

"Of course," Hinata laughs, "Ryoki-niichan."

And then she remembers leaving with Naruto, and going to his apartment. She knows that it is small and cramped, but there is an extra room that she can stay in until...well... they get married.

"Thank you," she tells him, softly.

"For what?" he asks, confused.

"For coming."

He smiles at her, and laughs. "Of course."

"We'll be okay..won't we?" she asks, uncertainly.

He puts an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah. We will."

/-/

**EPILOGUE**:

"Hinataaa!" Nearly a year after their marriage, Hinata is now four months pregnant. "You need to sit down!"

Hinata sighs exasperatedly at her husband's antics. "Naruto, I'm fine," she reassures him.

"Still! Just...Just sit down, okay?"

Hinata sighs again. "Fine."

Five minutes later, she's decided to stand up again. "I need to come with you to go buy groceries, Naruto.."

"No!" he exclaims, in a piercing, loud voice. "I'll do it myself!"

"Naruto...the last time you went grocery shopping, you bought a year's supply of ramen."

"..so?"

"Naruto."

"Fine, fine!" Naruto throws his hands up in defeat. "Just... walk slowly. Okay?"

Hinata resists the urge to roll her eyes. "I know."

As Naruto goes back inside to change, Hinata goes to put on her shoes. She is promptly stopped in place by Naruto's loud yell. "Woah! No! Those have heels, Hinata!"

"They're only an inch and a half," Hinata protests.

"No! Flats! Wear flats!"

Hinata rolls her eyes this time. He could be so irritatingly overprotective sometimes...

But...

She smiles to herself as she reaches forher flat shoes. She doesn't really mind.

END -

YES! DONE, DONE, DONE:dances: You have no idea how much agony this took me. XD The only scene that really came easily to me was the epilogue - and you can guess why, can't you? XD Since it's pure fluff/comedy, which is the only thing I'm really good at writing. Heh.

Just want to say a really, really heartfelt thank you to all of my reviewers. I'm sorry for taking so long. I hope the ending was okay... as most of you are aware, I just totally lost interest towards the middle of it. Ahah. For any Detective Conan fans, though.. :insert self-plugging music in here: I am working on a few Detective Conan/Magic Kaito stories, so if you'd like to check them out, you're more than welcome to. Heehee.


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